There are no hard and fast figures as to how many people are taking an aspirin a day that their doctor prescribed as a method to prevent heart attacks. According to recent research, at least 10% of people taking this drug don't need it.
Even the FDA has stated: "All that aspirin does if your heart attack risk is really low is cause
you harm," said Dr. Steven Nissen, who served on an FDA advisory panel
that recommended against widespread use of aspirin for primary
prevention and chairs the department of cardiovascular medicine at the
Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Interesting, isn't it? In fact, the research shows that aspirin is helpful for those with pre-disposing factors for heart attack and stroke ONLY in the 50's age group.
"People in their 50s with risk factors for cardiovascular disease -
including high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a history of smoking -
may benefit from starting a daily aspirin for at least a decade,
according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a
government-backed panel of independent physicians."
However, this advice doesn't apply to people in their 60's, according to the Task Force study, because of the increased bleeding risk associated with increased age. Also, this advice has not been studied for those under 50 years of age and over 70.
I find the following statement the most troubling:
"Patients can buy aspirin without a prescription, and doctors are also
free to put people on medicines for purposes that aren't approved by the
FDA."
And they call those who are interested in helping people prevent cardiovascular disease and strokes, "quacks."
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
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