Advice shifting on aspirin use for preventing heart attacks

Older adults without heart disease shouldn’t take daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. That’s according to preliminary updated advice from an influential health guidelines group. The draft guidance was posted online Tuesday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

It backtracks a bit from previous advice, but it puts the panel more in line with other medical groups. The recommendations say bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up outweigh any potential prevention benefits from aspirin. But the panel says aspirin may be appropriate for adults in their 40s if they have no bleeding risks.

Regardless of age, you should talk to your doctor about stopping or starting daily low-dose aspirin.