The Daily News – May 15, 2025

Alright, time for a reality check. If you or someone you care for is over 60 and still taking daily aspirin for heart health, you may want to bookmark this episode because according to an article from WebMD, nearly one in five older adults are still popping low dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes, even though newer guidelines say they probably shouldn’t. So what’s the deal here then? Well, over the years, doctors recommended a daily aspirin to thin the blood and reduce heart risks. It became sort of one of those common wisdom health tips. But here’s the problem. According to WebMD, updated research found that for many people the risks of daily aspirin far outweigh the benefits. Specifically, aspirin can increase your risk of internal bleeding, particularly in the gut. That’s why back in 2019, the American College of Cardiology warned against aspirin for prevention. In 2022, the US Preventive Services Task Force made it official. And in Canada, the recommendations were updated. In 2020, if you are over 60 and haven’t had a heart attack or stroke, you shouldn’t be taking daily aspirin if you’re between 40 and 59, it depends. You might consider it if you have a 10% or higher risk of heart disease within the next 10 years. But here’s the kicker. Despite these guidelines, 22% of people over 60 with no history of heart attack or stroke are still taking aspirin every single day. And for a lot of them it’s because they started years ago and never had a follow up conversation with their doctor. As the doctor who led the survey put it habits backed by conventional wisdom and the past advice of healthcare providers are hard to break. This whole situation proves how long it takes for medical advice to catch up. Research shows it takes an average of 17 years for only 14% of new scientific discoveries to make it into clinical practice. So no wonder so many people are still following old advice. So here’s the takeaway. If you’re taking aspirin daily for preventative reasons, you should check with your doctor to see if it’s still necessary. And just a final note, here’s something that hasn’t changed. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends if someone is experiencing signs of a heart attack, call 9 1 1, lie down and chew or swallow a regular aspirin. If you found this information useful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell. As always, thank you so much for joining us on the Daily News, and we’ll see you next time.