Taking an aspirin daily does not prolong healthy life in people aged 70 and older.
It also does not significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke – the perception people have about the role of aspirin in preventing common conditions associated with ageing.
These findings were revealed following the seven-year ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial in Australia and the United States. The trial was led by a team of researchers from Monash University in Melbourne and the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research in Minneapolis.
It was the largest and most comprehensive study to look at whether older people who took low doses of aspirin (100mg) to preserve good health were deriving any benefits by doing so. It followed more than 19,000 participants in the two countries, who were placed in either placebo or aspirin groups.
GLOBAL GUIDELINES
Monash University’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine head and principal investigator Professor John McNeil says the findings change the global guidelines on the use of aspirin as one of the methods to keep older people healthy.
“Despite the fact that aspirin has been around for more than 100 years, we have not known whether healthy older people should take it as a preventive measure to keep them healthy longer. Aspirin is the most widely used of all preventive drugs and an answer to this question is long overdue.
“These findings help inform prescribing doctors who have long been uncertain about whether to recommend aspirin to healthy patients who do not have a clear medical reason for doing so.”
The study also showed an increase in the number of cases of serious bleeding among aspirin-takers by 3.8 per cent compared to the placebo group (2.8 per cent). Bleeding is a well-known side effect of aspirin, and is more common in older people.
McNeil says this means millions of healthy older people who are taking low doses of aspirin without a medical reason, may be doing so unnecessarily, as there is no overall benefit to offset the risk of bleeding.
A small increase in deaths in the aspirin group, primarily from cancer, was also reported although this requires further investigation as researchers cannot rule out that it may be a chance finding. Other large aspirin studies have suggested that aspirin may prevent cancer over the long term.
McNeil says the findings however do not apply to those with existing conditions such as a previous heart attack, angina or stroke, where aspirin is recommended as a valuable preventive drug.
“Aspirin remains a relatively safe medication but more research is needed to investigate the long term benefits and risks of its daily use.,” says McNeil.
The researchers will continue to follow the participants of the study to determine whether there are other beneficial effects of aspirin, such as cancer prevention as well as investigate other opportunities to improve the health of senior citizens.
The trial was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Australian National Health and Medical Council, Victorian Cancer Agency and Monash University. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine