Going
against years of widely dispensed advice, the FDA warned the public in a
statement yesterday that most people shouldn't take aspirin to prevent
heart attacks,Bloomberg
reports.
RISK OF STOMACH AND BRAIN BLEEDS
In the
statement, the FDA explained that ingesting aspirin on a regular basis isn't recommended to people who have never experienced a cardiovascular event because the drug raises a person's risk of experiencing stomach and brain bleeds.
Even people who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, but
haven't experienced any symptoms yet, should refrain from taking the
drug as a preventative measure. In short, the benefits of the drug only
outweigh the risks in cases where people have already experienced a stroke or a heart attack.
The
announcement was prompted by the FDA's decision last week to block
pharmaceutical company Bayer AG from changing the drug's labeling. The
proposed changes would have allowed the company to market aspirin as a
heart attack prevention drug for people who don't have heart problems.
Following the decision, Bayer spokesperson Anne Coiley reminded
Bloomberg in an email that "the
ruling does not impact the numerous cardiovascular indications for which
aspirin is already approved by the FDA."
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