Until today, many people believed that an aspirin a day could potentially keep a stroke or heart attack away. In some cases, doctors even recommended that their patients take one low-dose aspirin every day as a preventative measure.

The recommendation has changed. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force has made an important announcement especially for anyone over the age of 60. They no longer recommend taking a low-dose aspirin every day as a preventative measure. In fact, they think this is actually a bad idea.

Watch the video below to learn more about this update on aspirin recommendations.

If you are under the age of 60, the task force is not necessarily changing their recommendation. Instead, it could still be a good idea to take a low-dose aspirin every day. The task force specifically said that there is a “small net benefit” for adults ages 40 to 59 who take an aspirin each day. 

Why do the recommendations change depending on your age? Dr. John Wong, who is a member of the task force and a physician at Tufts Medical Center, explained the reasoning to NPR. He said that “there’s an increasing risk of bleeding as people age.” That’s why it may be okay for someone under the age of 60 to take aspirin for preventative reasons, but the danger of bleeding over the age of 60 is too dangerous and doesn’t offer much benefit. He added, “What we found is that compared to older studies, aspirin appears to have less benefit from cardiovascular disease.”

It’s important to talk to your doctor before deciding to start or stop taking aspirin on a regular basis. The new recommendations don’t apply to people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, and it’s possible that your doctor may feel that aspirin is a good idea for you even if you’re over the age of 60.

Do you take aspirin on a regular basis for preventative purposes? Do you know anyone who does?