Daily aspirin may hurt more than help

They can't even determine if weed killer or plants genetically modified to create their own insect repellent is bad for you or not.
Wait 10 minutes... there will be another study with conflicting conclusions.
 
A meta-analysis of more recent studies indicated...

All-cause mortality was similar between aspirin and non-aspirin users who had no prior cardiovascular events (i.e., otherwise healthy individuals), which researchers said shows that the drug has no effect on death rates. Aspirin use also increased the incidence of major bleeding compared with non-users, the researchers found. Major bleeding was defined as blood loss that required hospitalization, surgery or transfusion, as well as all brain-related bleeding.
Click to expand...


My genetics and testing indicates I'm not high cardiovascular disease risk, so although I was once taking a baby aspirin every day, I quit that a year or so ago when the evidence seemed to weaken.
 
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Interesting... Meta studies are suspect, as the results are based on extrapolated numbers from inconsistent or non-standardized structured older studies. Generalities are often used to construct general studies... yeah.

Something to consider... the negative aspirin recommendations, leave an open door for newer blood thinners such as Xarelto or Eliquis... which, instead of a dollar store bottle of 30 baby aspirin @$1... cost about $525.00 for the same 30day period.

Not to insinuate anything nefarious, but Physicians are often paid substantial
$$$. to "report" results of their patients who take those recommended drugs, instead of low dose aspirin.

A second part of the questions that arise from newer studies, is whether or not the published results give general conclusions, or more specific numbers that the reader can use to determine ones' own treatment. One of the major conclusions that I have taken from looking at the more in-depth studies is that the difference between the death-risk factors for some conditions... changes from 2.9% to 1.8%. with the use of the more expensive medications.

No.. you are right.. I'm not a doctor, just a matter of making a decision of whether the risk difference is worth $12 or $6000 per year.

I mean that's just one set of odds... does not include being killed in a car crash, or being hit by a comet. :)
 
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I stopped at meta analysis.

Do another real study if you think the studies from the dark ages were flawed. Oh, never mind. That costs money.
 
Not a Doc, but you bring up an important question about meds, studies, Dr. advice and pharma costs.

  • Insulin costs today vs 5 yrs ago. I'm not diabetic but my niece married a wonderful young man with Type 1 diabetes, he's 21 yrs. old. What does he have to look forward to as treatment as he ages. The cost of insulin is criminal.
  • New studies about breast cancer treatment (75,000 women in this study). Chemo/radiation may not be necessary implying how many women went through that horrific treatment did not need it?? And how much $$ big pharma made plus Dr. cut.
  • Many treatments and meds are called "gold standard of care." Gold standard for who?
  • Who will benefit from stopping baby aspirin? I think the "gold standard of care" should be called "gold future for pharma and the Drs. that buy into it. "
 
Aside from the bleeding from aspirin, I do have some concerns about kidney function. For the first time ever, I had my BUN get a little crazy, so I started skipping the aspirin. It returned to normal. There have been some studies showing that even low dose aspirin messes with uric acid and creatine clearing.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10643705

I'm switching to apple cider vinegar. Not so much for anything heart related, but for muscle cramping. Hope that stuff doesn't mess with my blood and heart!
 
JoeWras said:
Aside from the bleeding from aspirin, I do have some concerns about kidney function. For the first time ever, I had my BUN get a little crazy, so I started skipping the aspirin. It returned to normal. There have been some studies showing that even low dose aspirin messes with uric acid and creatine clearing.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10643705

I'm switching to apple cider vinegar. Not so much for anything heart related, but for muscle cramping. Hope that stuff doesn't mess with my blood and heart!
Click to expand...

What's BUN?
 
89 YO DMIL was on warfarin and baby aspirin for 12 years. When I took her to cardiologist appointment, he suggested to drop the baby aspirin, studies weren't supporting benefits, he said. Also, baby aspirin, he said, is hard on stomach and may cause bleeding especially at her age. She stopped taking it that day, and had a massive stroke 2 weeks later. She passed 3 weeks after that because the stroke incapacitated her ability to chew, swallow and breathe.

DW thinks there was a correlation, but who knows?
 
Winemaker said:
89 YO DMIL was on warfarin and baby aspirin for 12 years. When I took her to cardiologist appointment, he suggested to drop the baby aspirin, studies weren't supporting benefits, he said. Also, baby aspirin, he said, is hard on stomach and may cause bleeding especially at her age. She stopped taking it that day, and had a massive stroke 2 weeks later. She passed 3 weeks after that because the stroke incapacitated her ability to chew, swallow and breathe.

DW thinks there was a correlation, but who knows?
Click to expand...

When discussing blood thinners with my cardiologist regarding my AFib he told me that the process of starting or stopping blood thinners increases the risk of stroke. I do not know if this is true with aspirin.

https://consumer.healthday.com/card...patients-with-irregular-heartbeat-664076.html
 
Most people think of low-dose aspirin as being used mainly to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, but aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce cancer risk in quite a few studies - particularly colon cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer. Here is one article that talks about that:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314889.php
 
imoldernu said:
Interesting... Meta studies are suspect, as the results are based on extrapolated numbers from inconsistent or non-standardized structured older studies. Generalities are often used to construct general studies... yeah.

Something to consider... the negative aspirin recommendations, leave an open door for newer blood thinners such as Xarelto or Eliquis... which, instead of a dollar store bottle of 30 baby aspirin @$1... cost about $525.00 for the same 30day period.

Not to insinuate anything nefarious, but Physicians are often paid substantial
$$$. to "report" results of their patients who take those recommended drugs, instead of low dose aspirin.

A second part of the questions that arise from newer studies, is whether or not the published results give general conclusions, or more specific numbers that the reader can use to determine ones' own treatment. One of the major conclusions that I have taken from looking at the more in-depth studies is that the difference between the death-risk factors for some conditions... changes from 2.9% to 1.8%. with the use of the more expensive medications.

No.. you are right.. I'm not a doctor, just a matter of making a decision of whether the risk difference is worth $12 or $6000 per year.

I mean that's just one set of odds... does not include being killed in a car crash, or being hit by a comet. :)
Click to expand...
For AFib you should be really be looking at coumadin versus aspirin. That's $200 versus 12. Coumadin can be just as effective as Xarelto, just blood needs to be monitored.
 
My father died of a heart attack (second one) at 65. My mother was in her 80's when she didn't feel right, called 911, was taken to the hospital where she went into ventricular fibrillation. She survived and had been on low dose aspirin ever since. I have been on low dose aspirin for years but recent endoscopies for other reasons have shown no sign of ulcers. My thinking is that with my familial history of heart disease, I'm probably better to be on the low dose aspirin than not since apparently, it's not resulting in much of a bleeding risk which seems to be the primary argument for not taking it. Sometimes I think you have to consider your own specific situation before applying general population studies of benefits and risks.
 
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bmcgonig said:
For AFib you should be really be looking at coumadin versus aspirin. That's $200 versus 12. Coumadin can be just as effective as Xarelto, just blood needs to be monitored.
Click to expand...

Thanks... I've weighed the pluses and minuses and since I'm totally asymptomatic, have decided to continue on without the regular coumadin blood tests. It's been 2+ years, and except for checking with my stethoscope, there is no way to tell there's a problem.

We all have to weigh our decisions... Just going out the door has risks. At my age, a 1% or 2% increase in risk is one I'll take.

BTW.. on the same subject, check out the AFIB CHAD2 score to look at the risk factors.
https://www.mdcalc.com/chads2-score-atrial-fibrillation-stroke-risk

6% of the population over the age of 65 have AFIB, and there are about 2.5 million people with this condition.

The Chads2 scoring automatically adds a risk score of 2 for anyone over age 80. That means just getting old... even if you're healthy... there's a risk that you'll die from heart failure. Driving 60 miles a month to get a blood test was the decision I had to make. I am taking the chance.

:dance:
 
I get frequent nose bleeds in the winter and stopped using aspirin years ago. When I had an aFib scare a few years back my biggest concern was whether I would risk anti-coagulants. It turned out I have SVT instead of aFib so I got a pass.
 
I've been on daily aspirin for 11 years since I was 50. My Dad had rapid onset colon cancer 5 years ago (he's fully cured BTW) and aspirin also lowers risk for cancers as others have reported. However, since hearing the study I split the difference and take the baby aspirin M-W-F figuring I would hedge my bets both ways.
 
It seems to me that if you do not have any conditions or risk factors, one may want to avoid the use of aspirin as a preventative measure. However, I put little faith in such loosely based studies.
 
It seems to me there are a lot more positive benefits than negative. Given that all medications have side effects, the best way is for each person to determine how those medications work for them. Plenty of evidence of medications not working well in some people, whereas they work well in others. There is also the psychological aspect of believing a medication is working. I've been taking the 81mg for nearly 15 years now, given family history of heart related issues. I am going to continue, even if the benefit is mostly in my head......
 
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