Experts split their opinions to Aspirin intake for older

The experts face off on the opinion should daily Aspirin intake reduce risk of most frequent diseases by persons over 50’s?! Some of them believe the great majority of older persons would benefit from taking the cheap, over-the-counter drug, and incur little risk in the process.

Some of them think that a simple, daily inexpensive low-dose pill would achieve a reduction in vascular events, and might achieve reductions in cancer and dementia, without the need for screening, deserves serious consideration. But some of them, like a leading Canadian cardiologist said an across-the-board recommendation that everyone older than 50 take a daily Aspirin is irresponsible and short-sighted!

Dr. Beth Abramson, a spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada said that people are looking for a quick fix but reducing your risk of heart disease involves a lot more than popping a pill.

Today Aspirin is prescribed to people with more than a 3 per cent risk of a heart attack or stroke within the next five years. By some estimates, as many as 80 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women have that level of risk.
Moreover, Aspirin, like all drugs, has side effects, such increasing the risk of ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeds.

One of Radcliffe Infirmary doctors stated that the research suggests that for every 1,000 people who take a daily Aspirin, two heart attacks will be avoided each year. But among the same group, there would be two additional serious gastrointestinal bleeds.

Earlier research by Dr. Baigent suggested that prescribing Aspirin to those at high risk of heart attack or stroke could save about 1,500 lives a year in Canada, and at least 40,000 worldwide. But he insisted the drug therapy should be targeted, not taken willy-nilly.

Dr. Abramson agreed, and added that there are many things people can do to lower their risk of heart disease aside from taking Aspirin, including lose weight, exercise, and stop smoking.

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