Doctor Juan Says Whether Or Not It Is Good To Take Aspirin

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For many years, a significant percentage of the population over the age of 50 has had the perception that taking an aspirin daily is favorable for cardiovascular health. After all, it's a prescription-free medicine: how dangerous can it be? With that thought in mind, millions of people take an 81-milligram baby aspirin daily, hoping it will give them a longer life. However, recent studies call this popular practice into question.

To avoid confusion, it is important to specify the following: if you have suffered a heart attack, a stroke, have undergone bypass surgery or have had a stent, there is full evidence that shows that in your case an aspirin of 81 milligrams at day reduces cardiovascular problems and is a much greater benefit than any type of risk associated with the use of this medicine. Now, if you do not have that medical history, its consumption could generate more damages than benefits.

A recent study published in the specialist journal JAMA on the use of aspirin in patients without a cardiac history concludes the following: Although aspirin use is associated with an 11 percent reduction in cardiovascular risk, it is also associated with an increase in 43 percent chance of significant bleeding as a side effect. In other words, in patients without a cardiovascular history, the risk of taking aspirin is greater than the benefit. The bleeding could be gastrointestinal or even cerebral.

It is important that you have a detailed conversation with your doctor about whether you are a candidate for aspirin. Just because it's an over-the-counter medication doesn't mean it's good for your health.