Your Safety is our Priority! Masks May Be Required at Millennium Offices. An aspirin a day has been said to keep the doctor away by helping to prevent heart attack and stroke, but that advice is changing.
“I have a lot of patients coming in who have been taking a baby aspirin for maybe 30 years,” says Millennium Physician Group Family Medicine and Non-Surgical Orthopedics Physician Nicholas Heathscott, M.D.
“But now it’s really fallen out of favor.”
Low-dose aspirin has long been recommended to decrease the chances of heart attacks and strokes, but new recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say risks for adults in their 60s and older who haven’t had a heart attack or stroke outweigh the potential benefits.
“The issue is aspirin therapy poses a bleeding risk, specifically in the gastrointestinal tract and in the brain,” explains Dr. Heathscott.
The updated recommendations say people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease without a known bleeding risk might still be candidates for daily low dose aspirin, this includes people with medical conditions like:
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- overweight
- smoking
The American Heart Association states that aspirin may be considered for adults younger than 70 who are at increased risk; however, adults older than 70 who have not had a prior heart attack or stroke will likely do more harm than good by taking baby aspirin.
“I know this can be confusing,” admits Dr. Heathscott. “The bottom line is, regardless of age, everyone should talk with their doctor about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure it’s the right choice for them.”
Family Medicine, Non-Surgical Orthopedics
15416 N Florida Avenue, Suite 203
Tampa, FL 33613
813.723.5450