The prospect that a cheap and relatively safe drug like aspirin could help reduce cancer risk has enticed researchers for decades. In the United States, tens of millions of adults take aspirin to reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke.
You can walk into any pharmacy, grocery or convenience store and buy aspirin, an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, without a prescription.
Numerous studies have suggested that people who regularly take low doses of aspirin may have reduced risks of being diagnosed with or dying from cancer.
But new findings from a randomized clinical trial, called Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE), a joint U.S and Australian research project, suggest that the same may not hold true for older adults.
The study included approximately 19,000 generally healthy people who were 70 years of age or older, and the primary results were published in September 2018.
This was a group of people starting to take aspirin when they were older. It’s unclear if the findings apply to people who begin taking aspirin regularly at an earlier age.
The most important way to prevent atherosclerotic vascular disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation is to promote a healthy lifestyle throughout life.
All adults should consume a healthy diet that emphasizes the intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, lean vegetable or animal protein, and fish and minimizes the intake of trans fats, red meat and processed red meats, refined carbohydrates, and sweetened beverages.
For adults with overweight and obesity, caloric restriction are recommended for achieving and maintaining weight loss.
At least 150 minutes per week of accumulated moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, is essential.
Aspirin should be used infrequently in the routine primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), because of lack of net benefit.
Your health professional will consider your current state of health. Some medical conditions, such as pregnancy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, asthma, peptic (stomach) ulcers, liver and kidney disease, could make aspirin a bad choice for you.
