Aspirin Under Greater Scrutiny After Medical Study: Is It Safe For Everyone?

(Radio WGN) – A study of 19,000 people shows doctors taking a closer look at aspirin.

The study, published last month in Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at a large group of people 65 and older. Half received 100 mg of aspirin daily, while the other half received a placebo.

The study found that the group taking low-dose aspirin were 25 percent more likely to have anemia, explained Dr. Kevin Most, medical director of Northwestern Medicine’s Central DuPage Hospital.

Anemia describes a condition in which the body did not have enough healthy blood cells to properly carry oxygen throughout the body.

“So we’re really starting to see aspirin come under scrutiny again now,” Dr. Most said in a recent interview with Radio WGN. “We need to understand the risk and reward of, OK, it’s going to prevent a stroke, it’s going to potentially prevent a heart attack, but now it’s also going to cause anemia. So we need to make sure we balance that to make sure the right people take it.”

Because aspirin is associated with an increased risk of bleeding, including stomach bleeding or aneurysms, doctors have no longer recommended daily aspirin for all older adults, Dr. Most explained. This new study is another factor to discuss with your doctor when determining whether daily aspirin is better for you, he said.

“I currently take one baby aspirin per day. Because? Because I’m high risk. My father died of a heart attack, I have high cholesterol. So I have high blood pressure. … But you’ll probably want to talk to your doctor to make sure there’s risk versus reward.”

Listen to more of Dr. Most’s interview in the following audio player:

Dr. Most also suggested talking to your doctor about switching to an enteric-coated aspirin. coating can help reduce damage to the stomach lining and help prevent stomach bleeding.