Breaking NEWS: Why the one ‘baby’ aspirin per day habit is so dangerous

(NaturalHealth365) Heart disease is a major killer – it’s to blame for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States every year.  And with so many of us at risk for heart disease-related problems like stroke, heart attacks, and clogged arteries, Western medicine would have us believe that a ‘baby’ aspirin will protect us from harm. (But, the cost will surprise most uninformed heart patients.)

You see, the age-old recommendation of taking aspirin (every day) is now being called into serious question thanks to the initial results of an ongoing double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Called the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE).  This study set out to investigate the risk/benefit ratio of taking a low daily dose of aspirin.

Since this is something many people over the age of 65 have been instructed to do by their physicians, the researchers’ preliminary findings are certainly quite disturbing and should be taken very seriously.

Looks like the ‘wisdom’ of taking a baby aspirin – every day – is all WRONG

Starting in 2010, the ASPREE study recruited 16,703 people aged 70 and older from Australia and 2,411 people aged 70 and older from the United States. People were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group would take 100 milligrams of aspirin per day, and one group would take a placebo.

All study participants would have periodic follow-ups to document any changes to their health (the average length of follow-up for the study’s most recent data is 4.7 years).

To be eligible for the study, the recruited subjects could not have dementia, a physical disability, or any condition managed with aspirin at the start of the trial. The researchers were hoping to determine what kind of adverse effects could happen by taking aspirin daily, and whether those effects outweighed the supposed benefits.

Prior evidence has suggested that a low dose of daily aspirin can prevent heart problems in middle-aged people, and may even reduce rates of intellectual decline and cancer in people who are elderly. But initial findings from the ASPREE study paint a very different story.

The problem with taking aspirin – on a regular basis

For one thing, the rates of dementia, stroke, heart disease, and physical disability were largely similar among the two groups. This implies that taking aspirin (daily) did not offer significant protection against disease and disability for healthy older adults.

More sobering data showed that the rate of bleeding incidents (a well-known adverse effect of aspirin) was significantly higher among people in the aspirin group. Additionally, aspirin-taking subjects were found to have a higher risk of dying from cancer!

What’s the bottom line, so far?  This study’s early data suggests that taking aspirin daily not only fails to confer protective health benefits, but may actually increase the risk for things like stomach, intestinal, and brain bleeding as well as certain types of cancer.

What’s next?  Discover the healthy alternatives to low dose aspirin ‘therapy’

The ASPREE trial is a large, high quality, and on-going study (expected to end in 2019). Further analysis is warranted and the researchers urge people to take their findings “with caution” until the study is completed in full.

In the meantime, there are plenty of less controversial things you can do to reduce your chances of dying from heart disease. For instance, get more EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids into your diet and eat lots of (organic) fruits and vegetables.

In addition, exercise regularly, avoid sugar, don’t smoke, and maintain a lean body mass.  The key is to take action and improve whatever you feel needs to be addressed about your health.

And if you have a family history of heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, or other health problems, talk to your physician about finding the best protocol for you.  If they really can’t help you – find another doctor.

You should never stop (or start) taking medications without proper medical supervision.  But, that ‘one baby aspirin per day’ you’ve been taking could be hurting rather than helping you, so have a chat with your doctor – as soon as possible.

Sources for this article include:

Medicalnewstoday.com
CDC.gov
Clinicaltrials.gov