Daily Aspirin Dose Riskier Than Thought

Aspirin thins the blood, which helps prevent blood clots. It also has side effects. It can irritate the stomach lining and cause gastrointestinal bleeding. In fact, those who take a daily dose of aspirin are two to four times as likely to have upper gastrointestinal problems, such as an ulcer with complications, than those not taking aspirin. It does not matter if the aspirin is buffered, according to the study.

Another potential risk, exacerbated by thinning the blood, is an increased risk of hemorrhagic strokes. Those are caused by bleeding in the brain

Of course, if the benefits outweighed the risks, it would be worth it anyway. However, the researchers examined two large studies of people with diabetes, one with 1,276 participants and the other with 2,539, and found disappointing statistics. Those who took 81 to 100 milligrams of aspirin daily (which is the amount sold as "low dose" in packages) saw no difference in their chance of having a heart attack or stroke over the next four to seven years when compared to those who did not.

That sort of statistic is not encouraging. It's not the first such study to bring up potential risks of aspirin. There was an earlier study, also in the UK, which resulted in a similar warning.

The fact that this was done with a set of diabetic patients is telling. Currently, the American Diabetic Association recommends low does aspirin for those at risk of cardiac disease. However, in 2010 the recommendation will be changed: only higher-risk patients will get this recommendation.

Given the risks, the recommendation for aspirin has changed: now the advice is to not self-medicate. While aspirin has its advantages, it should be taken upon the advice of a physician, not your own.

Written by Michael Santo
Exclusively for HULIQ.com