Common Mistake: Taking Aspirin After Age 40
Recently, a mistaken medical culture has spread. An example of this happened with one of my relatives; she was suffering from high blood pressure and her sugar levels were in the "pre-diabetic" range. When she went to buy her medication from the pharmacy, the pharmacist asked her: "How old are you?" She replied: "52 years old." The pharmacist then said: "Do you take aspirin? I advise you to take (baby aspirin) 100 mg daily to protect yourself from clots."
Is this advice correct? The answer is: No, it is not correct at all.
When is Aspirin Really Beneficial?
Just reaching the age of 40 or 50, even if you suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes, does not necessarily mean you are a candidate for taking aspirin. Recommendations regarding aspirin have undergone changes and scientific disagreements, but what is currently agreed upon by global health organizations is that aspirin is beneficial in the case of "secondary prevention."
Secondary prevention refers to preventing the recurrence of a heart or brain clot in a person who has previously suffered from one. For a person who has not previously suffered from a clot, aspirin is not recommended in general. In very specific cases, it may be recommended for some individuals if there is a very high probability of developing clots based on a precise medical evaluation.
Risks of Taking Aspirin Without Medical Consultation
Why is aspirin not recommended in cases other than those mentioned? The reason is that aspirin increases the likelihood of bleeding, whether in the digestive system or in the brain, God forbid, even at low doses (baby aspirin). Therefore, it is never advisable to start taking it without a specialist doctor's evaluation of the balance between benefits and risks.