Amongst folks with no private or household historical past of stroke or coronary heart assault, youthful adults (18-39) are extra conscious that for many adults, the dangers of taking a every day low-dose aspirin outweigh the advantages. Practically 3 in 10 (29%) younger adults know the dangers outweigh the advantages, in contrast with 7% of adults 60+. Supply: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart’s ASAPH survey, November 2024. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
For years, wholesome older adults had been suggested by docs to take a low-dose aspirin every day as a approach to scale back the danger of coronary heart assault. However in March 2019, the American School of Cardiology and the American Coronary heart Affiliation (AHA) introduced new pointers and not routinely really helpful a every day dose of aspirin for wholesome adults over the age of 70 as a result of the danger of gastrointestinal bleeding outweighs the advantages.
Practically 5 years later, many Individuals nonetheless haven’t obtained the message.
The Annenberg Public Coverage Heart (APPC) of the College of Pennsylvania finds in a brand new well being survey that just about half (48%) of U.S. adults incorrectly assume that for many adults, the advantages of taking a low-dose aspirin every single day to cut back the prospect of coronary heart assault or stroke outweigh the dangers. In all, practically 1 in 5 U.S. adults who say they haven’t any private or household historical past of coronary heart assault or stroke report routinely taking a low-dose aspirin, with 10% saying they take it “basically every day,” 2% “a few times a week,” and 6% “a few times a month.”
The previous rationale for routine low-dose aspirin use was that aspirin acts as a blood thinner and reduces the clotting that may clog arteries and result in coronary heart assault or stroke. Low-dose aspirin continues to be thought-about an vital technique for stopping coronary heart assault in individuals who have been identified with heart problems and should not liable to elevated bleeding.
However docs’ suggestions for wholesome adults have shifted on the dangers and advantages of taking a low-dose (usually 81 mg.) aspirin. In 2022, three years after the publication of the brand new AHA pointers, the U.S. Preventative Companies Process Power really helpful in opposition to beginning a brand new routine of low-dose aspirin use for the first prevention of heart problems for an excellent bigger group of older adults—these 60 and older with out a historical past of heart problems (together with coronary heart failure and stroke) or indicators or signs of heart problems.
“Habits backed by conventional wisdom and the past advice of health care providers are hard to break,” famous Kathleen Corridor Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart and director of the survey. “Knowing whether taking a low-dose aspirin daily is advisable or not for you is vital health information.”
Amongst U.S. adults with no private or household historical past of coronary heart assault or stroke, over 1 in 4 folks age 60 and up report commonly taking low-dose aspirin to cut back their threat of coronary heart assault or stroke. Supply: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart’s ASAPH survey, November 2024. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
Who takes a every day low-dose aspirin?
Within the survey, 45% of respondents report that they or somebody of their household has had a coronary heart assault or stroke, whereas 49% don’t have a household historical past of coronary heart assault or stroke (6% should not positive). A 2024 AHA report estimates that 3.1% of Individuals age 20 and older have had a coronary heart assault and three.3% have had a stroke, and over 48% of adults 20 and older have heart problems, together with coronary coronary heart illness, coronary heart failure, stroke or hypertension.
These with a private historical past of coronary heart assault or stroke could also be directed to take a low-dose every day aspirin by their docs. These 40- to 59-year-olds who’ve a ten% or higher 10-year cardiovascular threat additionally could also be directed to take aspirin, consistent with the suggestions. Nonetheless, the survey finds that 18% of these with no historical past of coronary heart assault or stroke report commonly taking a every day low-dose aspirin and 43% of this no-history group say that for many adults, the advantages of doing so outweigh the dangers.
Among the many group with no historical past, youthful survey respondents usually tend to appropriately report that the dangers outweigh the advantages—probably as a result of older respondents are extra accustomed to the sooner steering. Twenty-nine p.c of respondents with no related medical historical past who’re 18 to 39 years previous appropriately say that the dangers of a every day aspirin outweigh the advantages, in contrast with 11% of these 40 to 59 years previous and seven% of these 60 and older.
APPC’s Annenberg Science and Public Well being data survey
The survey information come from the twenty second wave of a nationally consultant panel of 1,771 U.S. adults performed for the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart by SSRS, an impartial market analysis firm. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, small replenishment samples have been added over time utilizing a random chance sampling design.
The newest replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the pattern. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Well being Information (ASAPH) survey was fielded Nov. 14–24, 2024. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.3 share factors on the 95% confidence degree. All figures are rounded to the closest complete quantity and will not add to 100%. Mixed subcategories might not add to totals within the topline and textual content attributable to rounding.
The coverage heart has been monitoring the American public’s data, beliefs, and behaviors relating to vaccination, COVID-19, flu, RSV, and different consequential well being points by means of this survey panel over the previous two-and-a-half years. APPC’s staff on the survey consists of analysis analysts Laura A. Gibson and Shawn Patterson Jr., Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Well being and Danger Communication Institute, and Ken Winneg, managing director of survey analysis.
Extra info:
Obtain the topline and the strategies report.
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Practically half of adults mistakenly assume advantages of every day aspirin outweigh dangers (2025, February 3)
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