- Researchers investigated the effects of low dose aspirin on stroke risk in older adults.
- They found that low dose aspirin did not significantly reduce stroke risk, but increased the risk of intracranial bleeding by 38%.
- Clinicians should screen patients for cardiovascular and head trauma risks before prescribing aspirin to prevent stroke.
A stroke happens when blood is blocked from entering the brain — known as an ischemic stroke, or when there is sudden bleeding in the brain — known as a hemorrhagic stroke.
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Preventive strategies for stroke are essential for reducing the incidence. A common pain medication, aspirin, is currently widely used to prevent the condition.
While meta-analyses show that low dose aspirin may reduce the risk of stroke, trials also show that it may increase the risk of intracranial and intracerebral hemorrhages — or bleeding in the skull and brain.
Older individuals are particularly at risk of hemorrhage due to the fragility of their small blood vessels and their increased risk for trauma from
Understanding how low dose aspirin affects stroke and hemorrhage risk in older adults could inform stroke prevention strategies.
Recently, researchers investigated the effects of low dose aspirin on stroke and hemorrhage risk in older adults. While low dose aspirin did not reduce stroke risk, but it increased intracranial bleeding risk by 38%.
The study was recently published in JAMA
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 19,114 adults with an average age of 74 years old.
Around 56% of participants were female, and none had a history of cardiovascular conditions such as:
The participants were randomly assigned one of two groups and given either a daily 100 mg dose of aspirin or a…
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