Dangerous Aspirin Use Rampant Among Heart Patients
People with low risk of stroke and heart attacks are using aspirin without considering its side-effects, a new study has revealed.
According to TIME, 11.6 percent participants of a study comprising 68,000 people were found to be using aspirin despite having a less than 6 percent 10-year risk of ischemic stroke or heart rate. Researchers concluded that in many cases, aspirin is being taken without prescription as it is available over the counter. US Preventive Services Task Force criteria recommends aspirin for anyone with a greater than 6 percent risk of having a heart attack or stroke in 10 years which includes those who have already have had one heart attack or stroke in the past.
LA Times reported that most of people taking aspirin did not suffer a heart attack or stroke. The study which was conducted across 119 practices found that about 72 percent of the respondents in some practices were taking aspirin without risk justification.
"More than 1 in 10 patients in this national registry were receiving inappropriate aspirin therapy for primary prevention, with significant practice-level variations. Our findings suggest that there are important opportunities to improve evidence-based aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD," researchers said in the study.
Aspirin works by preventing clotting enzymes from functioning. As a result, platelet cells which form clots cannot function. However, loss of clotting ability can cause haemorrhagic stroke and also increase risk of internal bleeding injuries.
