Daily aspirin no longer recommended by doctors

NEW YORK: For years, low-dose aspirin has been described as a panacea to ward off heart attacks, strokes and another cardiovascular disease. New guidelines, though, suggest that aspirin should not be prescribed to most adults who are in good cardiovascular health and that the risk of internal bleeding often outweighs the benefit. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released the new guidelines on Sunday. The authors said low-dose aspirin should not be routinely given as a preventive measure to adults 70 years and older or to any adult who has an increased risk of bleeding.
“The guidelines are for people with no clinical signs of heart disease or stroke,” said one of the authors, Dr. Erin Michos. She emphasized, though, that people who have had heart attacks or have stents should continue with the medication. Instead, the guidelines recommended behavioral changes to ensure a healthy heart. These include a healthy weight, not smoking, moderate activity for at least 150 minutes a week and a diet with vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and fish.