Just say NO to that daily low-dose aspirin

Yesterday, I talked to you about the hazards of acetaminophen. So, today, let’s look at another common painkiller: aspirin.

Many people take aspirin every day—for minor aches and pains, fevers, or even to help promote heart health. In fact, aspirin therapy has been a common mainstream recommendation for years. But based on years of accumulating evidence—including some recent research—I can say with absolute certainty that aspirin offers absolutely no benefit as a form of primary disease prevention.

So, let’s take a look at this latest research, and revisit the results of a few studies I have mentioned to you before…

No benefit, plenty of harm

Let’s start with the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial. This research looked at more than 19,000 Australians and Americans over the age of 70, all of whom were free of heart disease, dementia, and physical disability at the start of the study.

Researchers randomly assigned half of the participants to take 100 mg of aspirin daily, with the goal of assessing differences in eventual death, dementia, and chronic disability.

Notably, this was the first major trial to look at disability-free survival as a primary endpoint. And needless to say, that’s important. Because in the end, any prescription touted as “prevention” isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if it’s not actually offering the patient extra health, longevity, and independence.

And it just so happens that aspirin offers none of those things. In fact, not only did aspirin provide zero benefit, but the trial was actually terminated early. Why? Because there was a significant increase in the rate of major hemorrhage among patients taking aspirin.

And sadly, this isn’t the only time research has exposed the lethal risks of aspirin therapy…

Ditch aspirin… and do this instead

In the Aspirin to Reduce Risk of Initial Vascular Events (ARRIVE) trial, researchers found that 100 mg of aspirin daily did nothing to cut long-term risk of cardiovascular events or stroke in patients with risk factors but no history of heart disease. But it did link aspirin therapy with more gastrointestinal bleeding.

Then you have the ASCEND trial, which also showed that the risk of bleeding in diabetic patients increased almost twice as much as the risk of vascular events dropped when taking aspirin. In other words, the risks far outweighed any benefits.

I’ve been warning about this for years—and taking my patients off of aspirin therapy accordingly. But it’s nice to have the general consensus on my side for a change. Because older people with no clear medical indication for aspirin therapy simply should not be taking it.

It does nothing at all to prevent a first cardiovascular event. But it does do a substantial amount of potentially life-threatening harm.

Still, just like the myth that eggs raise your cholesterol levels, this is one of those things that conventional medicine just doesn’t seem to want to let go of.

So, for the millionth (and hopefully last) time: If you do not have heart disease, you do not need to be taking aspirin. And even as a form of secondary prevention (that is, after you’ve already had an event like a heart attack), the line of thinking is starting to shift toward short-term, rather than long-term, use.

Plus, there are better ways to get the same supposed benefits, at considerably lower risk. In fact, my Ultimate Heart Protection Protocol outlines information on natural techniques to prevent and fight high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. To learn more about this comprehensive online learning tool, or to enroll today, click here now.

Source:

“ASPREE: No Benefit of Aspirin in Primary Prevention.” Medscape Medical News, 09/16/2018. (medscape.com/viewarticle/902056)