The truth about taking a daily low-dose aspirin
The recent news about who should and who shouldn’t take a daily aspirin has caused confusion because many headlines made it sound like you should stop.
The correct answer is: It depends on your health (for example, body weight seems to alter the benefits and risks of daily aspirin) and why you are taking aspirin (there are more reasons than just heart health).
So let us break it down, so you can talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.
But first …
Turns out more than 6 million folks in the U.S. take daily aspirin without a doc’s recommendation. If that describes you, go to see your primary care physician or cardiologist pronto to find out if you should be taking it and if you are taking it correctly: That’s always with a half a glass of warm water, tea or coffee before and after. A daily aspirin does increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, so the risk-benefit ratio has to land in your favor! Now back to the new info.
New recommendations on aspirin and heart disease prevention
According to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in 2017 about 29.9 million Americas age 40 and older took a daily aspirin to prevent or manage heart disease, and that includes around 10 million heart-healthy 70-year-olds who take aspirin to prevent its onset. It turns out some folks do not need to and should not take a daily aspirin to prevent heart disease, even though their doctor had previously recommended it. That’s:
• Anyone 70+ who does NOT have existing cardiovascular disease.
• Anyone with an increased bleeding risk because of other medications or conditions such as an ulcer, or who does extreme sports or doesn’t use a car seatbelt or wear a helmet when skiing/biking/blading.
• Folks younger than 70, on an individual basis, whose risk of heart disease is low or moderate. Turns out individual bleeding risks vary widely, and that’s why for these folks it’s a case-by-case decision made with their doctor.
Tip: A plant-based diet, regular physical activity, not smoking (anything) and healthy sleep habits go a long way in preventing heart disease!
So who should be taking aspirin for heart disease?
If you are at high risk for heart disease or have already had a heart attack, severe angina or a stroke, aspirin’s benefits can save your life!
Who should be taking aspirin for other reasons?
Aspirin is not only effective in slashing the risk for a second heart attack or stroke, it also reduces by more than 20 percent the risk of colorectal, esophageal, stomach, breast, liver and pancreatic cancer, as well as blood cell cancers. There are ways to reduce the internal bleeding risks associated with taking daily aspirin: A 2018 study that looked at more than 600,000 folks for up to 14 years found daily low-dose aspirin significantly reduces the risk of colon cancer, and the increased gastrointestinal bleeding risks can be reduced with the use of medicines that suppress stomach acid. (Hey, drink that warm beverage before and after taking it, too.)
Those benefits (plus prevention of cardiovascular and inflammatory disease) are why Dr. Mike recommends most men over 35 and women over 45 should check with their doc about taking one low-dose aspirin in the morning and one in the evening — if they don’t do extreme sports, are reliable pill takers and always take aspirin with that warm beverage! Next steps?
If you think it may be smart to stop taking your daily aspirin, talk with you doc about tapering off. Don’t stop abruptly and risk a rebound effect that makes you more vulnerable to stroke or heart attack. If it sounds like you’re a candidate for a daily aspirin regimen for your heart health or to reduce your cancer risk, again, ask your doc. Don’t take aspirin without making sure you’ll get the benefit and can manage any risks.
Put your taste buds through training camp
Summer camp in the National Football League; summer league in the National Basketball Association; and of course, spring training in Major League Baseball: They’re all dedicated to getting players ready before the season officially starts. And it works, bringing out the best in athletes (newbies and veterans), so they can perform at their optimal level.
It works the same way with your perception of flavors, whether you’re a rookie kid or retired senior. You can train your sensory systems for taste and smell to respond more positively to the flavors and aromas of oh-so-healthy, but bitter foods, so that when it comes to deciding where broccoli or kale will play on your plate, you’ll give them a starting position.
University at Buffalo researchers have found that you can change the way the 1,000 or so flavor-controlling salivary proteins in your mouth respond to foods and make bitter flavors become milder and more acceptable. All it takes is repeated exposure. (We think your sense of smell works the same way.)
So if your kids are veggie-shy or you’re not getting your seven servings of produce daily, you can change that! Encourage repeat tastings — just one bite at this meal, two at the next. Do that by making tough-to-eat veggies like baby carrots, individual asparagus spears and broccoli sprigs into finger foods. Combine them with favorite flavors like hummus or peanut butter, or add spices with aromas you enjoy, like mint, basil, thyme or rosemary. Create a taste and smell training camp for the whole family and become major-league foodies!