The Baby Aspirin Controversy

Baby Aspirin has become viewed by many older Americans as a “panacea” that offers all-encompassing protection against heart attack, stroke, and other dangerous conditions. For many years, this mindset was supported by nearly every medical community, particularly the U.S Preventive Services Task Force, who all endorsed the use of baby aspirin  for men aged 45-79 and women aged 55-79. However, as with all medical recommendations, the support for baby aspirin has altered in 2016.

The Support for Baby Aspirin

The most recent buzz about baby aspirin actually doesn’t relate to heart attacks or strokes at all. Instead, men and women between the ages of 50 and 59 can take a baby aspirin of 81 mg daily to lower their risk of colon cancer. It’s recommended that these men and women only use baby aspirin if they have risk factor for heart disease like family history, smoking, being overweight, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Overall, aspirin is considered to health minimize health problems because it thins the blood and lowers the risk of a blood clot in individuals at a higher risk of clots.

The Caution About Baby Aspirin

It seems there is more caution about baby aspirin than ever. Even though baby aspirin used to be recommended between the ages of 45 and 79, the experts now feel that anybody below the age of 50 would be taking aspirin unnecessarily given the lack of clear benefits as proven by research. As for anybody between ages 60-69, aspirin could potentially be beneficial, but it requires deep consideration with a doctor who can evaluate the risks of internal bleeding since the risks are much higher than previously believed. And for those over the age of 69, aspirin probably isn’t going to be beneficial.

At the end of the day, healthy habits are far better to implement than a one-a-day aspirin schedule, but for the right people in the right situation, baby aspirin is an important preventative measure.