NEW YORK, July 8: A recent study spanning eight years and involving approximately 150 million adults annually reveals that many older adults continue to use aspirin as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease (CVD), despite updated guidelines advising against its routine use for primary prevention. The findings underscore the critical importance for healthcare providers to assess aspirin usage and educate elderly patients about its potential benefits and risks.

Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from Cleveland Clinic analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey Sample Adult component spanning 2012 to 2019 and 2021. The study aimed to track trends in aspirin use among adults aged 40 and above, categorizing participants by age group and CVD status based on their self-reported medical history.

The data revealed a decline in aspirin use from 2018 to 2019, coinciding with updated recommendations from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association advising against aspirin therapy for primary prevention in older adults. Despite this decline, the study found that nearly one-third of adults aged 60 and older without CVD continued using aspirin in 2021, with approximately one in twenty doing so without medical guidance.

Overall, 25.6 million adults reported using aspirin for CVD prevention in the United States, with 18.5 million of them aged 60 years or older in 2021. These figures highlight the ongoing challenge of reducing inappropriate aspirin use among older adults and emphasize the need for targeted interventions to align with updated medical guidelines.

The study's authors advocate for increased awareness among healthcare professionals regarding aspirin use in older populations, urging proactive discussions with patients to ensure informed decision-making aligned with current evidence-based recommendations. This approach aims to optimize cardiovascular health outcomes while minimizing potential risks associated with unnecessary aspirin use.