(HealthDay News) — Slightly more than half of middle-aged adults and seniors in the United States take aspirin daily, with most taking it for primary prevention, according to survey findings published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
In the survey, researchers questioned 2,509 people between 45 and 75 years old about their aspirin use and their health history.
- 52% reported current aspirin use, and another 21% had used it at some point in the past.
- 4 out of 5 aspirin users were doing so to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, the researchers found.
- 47% of those without a history of cardiovascular disease said they were taking aspirin.
- About 84% of aspirin users said they take the drug for heart attack prevention, and 66% for stroke prevention, the report indicated.
- Another 18% take aspirin for cancer prevention, and 11% for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
The survey results revealed that a talk with their doctor was the strongest factor that determined whether a person started taking aspirin. “If you’d had a discussion with a health care provider about aspirin, you were 4 times more likely to be on aspirin,” study author Craig Williams, Pharm.D., of the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University in Portland, told HealthDay. Such a talk was the strongest predictor of regular aspirin use among people who had never suffered a heart attack or stroke, he added.
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One-quarter of people who hadn’t discussed aspirin with a health care provider decided to go ahead and take it on their own initiative. About a third of aspirin users overall were taking a dosage stronger than baby aspirin, the survey revealed.
“The use of aspirin in patients without cardiovascular disease remains controversial,” the authors write. “Patients’ understanding of the risks and benefits of aspirin likely contribute to the decision of whether or not to use aspirin regularly.”
The study was partly funded by aspirin maker Bayer.
