Aspirin To Prevent First Heart Attack In Seniors Not Validated

Aspirin has often been recommended to senior citizens by doctors as a way to prevent getting their first heart attack. Aspirin is a blood thinner — and while it has been successful in preventing a second and third heart attack — or stroke, the benefit to prevent a first heart attack is really not clear.

A study published in The Lancet suggests there is no benefit. The researchers say, “The use of aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events remains controversial,” as the authors wrote in the summary of their results.

The study examined 12,500 participants considered to be at moderate cardiovascular risk. The results showed that the number of heart attacks and strokes for those given aspirin and those given a placebo were nearly the same. The group taking a placebo had just 12 more heart attacks or strokes . Clearly, aspirin did not reduce the occurrence of major cardiovascular events in this study.

Otherwise, the study found that it does help for patients with established cardiovascular disease. It even outweighs the risk of bleeding that comes with its blood-thinning properties.