Daily Aspirin No Longer Advised To Guard Against Heart Attack, Stroke

USA Today: Baby Aspirin No Longer Recommended To Prevent First Heart Attack
People over the age of 60 should no longer consider taking a daily low-dose or baby aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, according to a draft recommendation issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Tuesday. The announcement marks a change in the 2016 Task Force guidance that recommended aspirin therapy in certain men and women to lower cardiovascular risk. But more recent evidence suggests it also could cause harm, including bleeding in the stomach, intestines, and brain – a risk that increases with age and can be life-threatening. (Rodriguez, 10/12)

The New York Times: Aspirin Use To Prevent 1st Heart Attack Or Stroke Should Be Curtailed, U.S. Panel Says
The task force includes 16 experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine who periodically evaluate screening tests and preventive treatments. Members are appointed by the director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, but the group is independent and its recommendations often help shape U.S. medical practice. The guidelines, which are not yet final, have the potential to affect tens of millions of adults who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, which continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, even in the age of Covid. The panel will accept public comments on its recommendations until Nov. 8, and its draft guidance is usually adopted sometime after the comment period ends. (Rabin, 10/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Older Adults Shouldn’t Start Taking Aspirin In Effort To Prevent First Heart Attack, Panel Says
The guidance doesn’t apply to people who are already taking daily aspirin after a previous heart attack or stroke or because they have a stent in an artery. Those who are taking daily aspirin and have questions should talk with their healthcare provider, the task force said. (Abbott, 10/12)

AP: Advice Shifting On Aspirin Use For Preventing Heart Attacks
For the first time, the panel said there may be a small benefit for adults in their 40s who have no bleeding risks. For those in their 50s, the panel softened advice and said evidence of benefit is less clear. The recommendations are meant for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity or other conditions that increase their chances for a heart attack or stroke. Regardless of age, adults should talk with their doctors about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure it’s the right choice for them, said task force member Dr. John Wong, a primary-care expert at Tufts Medical Center. (Tanner, 10/12)

Also —

The Boston Globe: Doctor: New Recommendations Curtailing Low-Dose Aspirin Use Follow Science, Make A ‘Tremendous Amount Of Sense’
The surprising new recommendations from an influential health guidelines group on daily low-dose aspirin regimens reflect the latest science and “make a tremendous amount of sense,” according to a Boston Medical Center expert. “I think we’re in a really important and interesting time in science, where we’re continuing to let the data guide us to improve the health of populations,” Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett, vice chair of family medicine at the hospital, said, noting that the public had seen with the COVID-19 pandemic how science evolves rather than staying static. (Finucane, 10/12)

Axios: Doctors' Challenge With Aspirin Guidance: It's Hard To Know Who's Taking It 
In a reversal, new draft guidance warns adults who do not have a history of heart disease or stroke should not take baby aspirin. But millions of patients may have been taking the blood-thinner without their knowledge. With heart disease as the top killer in the U.S., persistent recommendations from doctors portrayed a blanket statement to the public that middle-aged people should be taking baby, or low-dose, aspirin. (Fernandez, 10/13)