Nearly one in three Americans over the age of 60, roughly 19 million people, take aspirin daily, USA Today cited Annals of Internal Medicine.
Aspirin is an over-the-counter medication used for a variety of reasons. Aside from pain treatment, doctors may prescribe aspirin to patients who are at risk of heart attack or stroke, according to Harvard Health. These two serious health conditions occur when plaque forms in arteries, which can slow down blood flow in the body and cause small blood clots to form.
“Aspirin can reduce heart attacks and strokes, and to some degree other clots like those in the deep veins of the legs. In low doses, aspirin inhibits platelets and therefore reduces blood clots,” Michael J. Blaha, director of Clinical Research for the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, was quoted as saying.
Thinning blood and therefore making clots less likely is a definite pro for those who are at higher risk of cardiovascular issues. But that doesn’t make aspirin a prime candidate for everyone.
“In cardiovascular disease, we commonly prefer blood thinning because many cardiovascular diseases are the result of blood clots,” Blaha said. “However, blood thinning is inevitably accompanied by an increased risk of bleeding.”