The Problem with ‘an Aspirin a Day’

Millions of people risk their health by following outdated recommendations on heart attack prevention. Here’s who should (and should not) take daily aspirin.

Longstanding advice to take an aspirin a day, as a safeguard against heart attacks and strokes, has led to millions of people popping the pills even though they don’t need them and despite serious side effects, including internal bleeding and anemia.

One in four Americans ages 50 to 80 say they take aspirin at least thrice weekly, as a preventive measure, according to a national survey and analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and released last week. More than half of those people (57%) have no history of heart disease and should not be using aspirin without consulting a healthcare provider, the researchers say.

While daily aspirin is still advised for some people, under direction of a physician, the guidelines have changed dramatically in recent years.