Good old Aspirin: again well recommended

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said taking an aspirin a day could help some adults prevent cardiovascular disease and colon cancer.

Giving its final recommendation on Wednesday in Washington, the panel said research showed that the benefits of regular aspirin use outweigh the bleeding risks.

It explained further that how much someone can benefit from doing so depends on their age and risk of cardiovascular disease.

the panel said research showed that the benefits of regular aspirin use outweigh the bleeding risks.

Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Chairman of the Panel, said people 50 to 59 years old, who have increased risk of heart attack or stroke, benefit most from daily use of low-dose aspirin (81 mg) and recommended aspirin initiation for this group.

“People 60 to 69 years old with increased cardiovascular risk can also benefit from doing so, but the overall benefit for this group is smaller, and therefore, the decision to take aspirin should be made with their doctors.

Bibbins-Domingo said the panel also concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of aspirin use in adults younger than 50 years or older than 70 years.

He warned that before starting to take aspirin for primary prevention, people aged 50 to 69 should talk to their primary care clinician to understand their risk of cardiovascular disease and risk for bleeding.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel of U.S. experts.

The panel regularly review the scientific evidence and make recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screenings, counselling services, and preventive medications.