NEW Aspirin Warning!

It wasn’t long ago that taking “an aspirin a day” was standard medical advice for any older adult wanting to prevent a heart attack.

But for folks who didn’t have heart disease, it was a bad idea then… and it’s a bad idea NOW.

Fortunately, research continues to confirm what I’ve been saying all along. And that, of course, is that this piece of medical advice is not just pointless… it’s dangerous.

Now a new study has uncovered yet ANOTHER aspirin risk that every older adult needs to know about…

Just last year, the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force FINALLY changed their aspirin recommendations.

Their new position states that adults over 60 should NOT take aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Why?

Because the risks outweigh the rewards.

• Studies show aspirin has NO SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT for preventing all-cause or cardiovascular mortality.
• But the drug DOES increase the risk of potentially deadly bleeding in the gut and brain.

Now scientists are issuing a NEW warning. A study revealed using aspirin is tied to an increased risk of anemia in older adults.

For the study, adult volunteers 70 and older took an aspirin a day or a placebo for five years. The participants taking the aspirin had a 20 percent higher risk of anemia by the study conclusion.

Anemia occurs when you have low levels of red blood cells. It can cause tiredness, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, cold hands and feet, chest pain, and more.

The aspirin users ALSO had a more significant decline in ferritin concentrations. (Ferritin is a protein in blood cells that stores iron and releases it when needed.)

This led the researchers to conclude that anyone regularly using aspirin should also have their iron and ferritin levels monitored.

Of course, this increased risk of anemia isn’t a complete surprise. It ties back to the higher risk of gastrointestinal (G.I.) bleeding that occurs with aspirin.

You see, iron is necessary for the production of hemoglobin in red blood cells. But when you have a chronic G.I. bleed, it depletes your iron stores leading to iron-deficiency anemia.

If you’re still taking aspirin to prevent a first-time heart attack, it’s time to talk to your doctor about better options.

But even if you get the “all clear” to stop popping a daily aspirin, DON’T toss your bottle in the trash.

Keep it on hand to take at the first sign of a heart attack instead.

Because in THAT situation, it really COULD save your life.

P.S. Every decision you make throughout the day impacts your heart health for better or worse. CLICK HERE to discover 13 ways to PROTECT your heart starting today.

SOURCE:

“Effect of Low-Dose Aspirin Versus Placebo on Incidence of Anemia in the Elderly,” Annals of Internal Medicine, 20 June 2023, doi. org/10.7326/M23-0675