Over 60? Stop Doing This To Prevent Heart Attacks, Doctors Warn

The risks outweigh the benefits.


After a certain age, it's a good idea to get in the habit of Doing Things that Will Help Keep your Heart Healthy - upher it's choosingAvocado toast Instead of Bacon For Breakfast or Going forA Brisk afternoon Stroll To get your Blood Pumping. But there's one Thing Many People Do Daily that could be Hurting Their Health More Than It Helps, and an influencing Group of Doctors has now Officially Reversed Their Guidance Regarding this Rule. Read on to find out what previously-recommended Practice Say is no long Worth the Risk for People Over 60—And who Might Still Beter off to do it.

RELATED:3 Ways your stomach is telling you that your heart's in trouble.

Heart Disease and Stroke Are Leading Causes of Death in the United States.

senior male having heart attack.
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"More than 877,500 Americans Die of Heart Disease, Stroke, or Other Cardiovascular Diseases Every Year," Says The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Noting that Heart Disease isThe Number One Cause of Death in the USA.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

It Makes Sense, then, that people are eager to do thaty can to mitigate their risk of development heart disease and suffering a Heart Attack. So in the early 1990s, when the American College of Chest Physicians Recommended that people over 50Begin Taking A Daily Aspirin To help prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke, Many people Jumped on the Bandwagon. More Recently, However, More Information has come to light and guidance has changed over the years.

This new guidance has been in the works for a while.

Senior Woman & Medicine
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Back in Oct. 2021, The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)Drafted New Guidance regarding the Common Practice of Taking A Daily Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke. They Said That, "With Moderate Certainty," People Over 60 Years of Age Would Get "No Net Benefit" from Taking a Daily Aspirin.

In fact, they said, it could be harmful, since tingin aspirin comes with an increased chance of stomach ulcers and internal bleeding.

For People Over 60, Say the Risks of Taking A Daily Aspirin Outweigh the Benefits.

senior man sitting alone in his kitchen and taking pills
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The Drafted GuidanceHas now Become Official. "Based on Current Evidence, The Task Force Recommends Against People 60 and Older Starting to Take Aspirin to First Heart Attack Or Stroke," Uspstf Task Force Vice ChairMichael Barry, MD, Told ABC News. "Becuse the Chance of Internal Bleeding Increases with Age, the Potential Harms of Aspirin use Cancel out the Benefits in this age group."

It's Worth noting that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Has Long Recommended Against Routine Daily Aspirin Use. "It is important for the public to understand that for the vast majority of americans without pre-existing heart disease, aspirin do not provides a net benefit. The harms are approximataly equal to any benefits,"Steven Nissen, MD, a Cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, Told Abc News. "The USPSTF is just Catching Up with this Widely Accepted Scientific ViewPoint."

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Doctors May Still recommend a Daily aspirin for some people.

Woman Talking to a Female Doctor
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For people under the age of 60, the story may be a little different. "People who are 40 to 59 Years Old and Don't Have a History of Cardiovascular Disease But Are at Higher Risk May Benefit from Starting to Take Aspirin to First Heart Attack or Stroke," Task Force MemberJohn Wong, MD and interim chief Scientific Officer and Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, Told Abc News.

"It's important that they decide Together with their healthcare professional If Starting Aspirin is right for them because Daily Aspirin Dues Come with possible serious harms," ​​he explained.

RELATED:The 3 Signs Your Chest Pain Isn't A Heart Attack, Say experts.


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