Daily Aspirin: Should You Take It to Protect Your Heart?

For years, many people took a daily aspirin “just in case” to prevent heart attacks. Newer research has changed that advice. For people who have never had a heart attack or stroke, the bleeding risks often outweigh the benefits.

Imagine a healthy 65-year-old who started taking aspirin every day after reading it was good for the heart. One day she vomits blood from a stomach bleed. She’d never had heart disease, so the aspirin may have caused more harm than good. Advice she’d heard years ago no longer applied.

Who benefits

People who have already had a heart attack, stroke, stents or certain other heart and circulation problems are often prescribed low-dose aspirin or a similar medicine to prevent another event. This is called secondary prevention, and the benefits are clear.

Who shouldn’t start it on their own

For people without heart disease, many guidelines now advise against starting daily aspirin routinely, especially over age 60, because of the risk of bleeding in the stomach and brain. For some younger adults at higher risk, it may be a personal decision with a doctor.

Side effects and risks

• Stomach irritation, ulcers and bleeding
• Bleeding in the brain (rare but serious)
• Interactions with other medicines, including blood thinners and some painkillers
• Asthma worsening in some people

But should I stop taking it?

Don’t stop aspirin that a doctor prescribed after a heart attack, stroke or stent without talking to them, as stopping suddenly can raise your risk. If you started it yourself, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist. Get urgent help for black stools, vomiting blood or a sudden severe headache.

Sources: US Preventive Services Task Force (Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease, 2022), NHS (Low-dose aspirin), American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.