Q. I believe aspirin is a miracle drug. I’ve used it for pain relief for years and never once had a stomachache or heartburn.
My doctor told me it was prudent to take a baby aspirin every day to prevent circulatory problems. I just read that the FDA has warned against this practice. How come?
A. The FDA recently declared that aspirin is too dangerous for people to use to prevent heart attacks or strokes unless they have already experienced a cardiovascular crisis.
This warning contradicts advice from the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association as well as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. All of these organizations have recommended low-dose aspirin for at-risk people to prevent an initial heart attack or stroke. They are reconsidering these recommendations currently, however, perhaps in response to the FDA announcement.
According to the FDA, aspirin can lead to bleeding in the intestines or the brain. The agency considers the risk too high for otherwise healthy people. We think that this decision is best made through a conversation between patients and their personal physicians. Recent research suggests that regular aspirin use may have an added anti-cancer benefit that could change the equation for certain individuals (Current Oncology Reports, Dec., 2013).
Our free Guide to Key Aspirin Information has further discussion of the benefits and risks of this inexpensive and amazingly versatile drug.
