Already Taking a Blood Thinner? Adding Aspirin May Do Harm
For years, many doctors recommended taking low-dose aspirin to help prevent first-time heart attacks and strokes. However, more and more doctors are changing their minds.
Patients who were concurrently taking both new and old blood thinner drugs are more likely to experience bleeding problems. Michigan University researchers warn that those who take vitamin K inhibitors like warfarin or aspirin may find a severe risk of bleeding.
Aspirin use reduced the risk of bleeding events by one-third in this study.
Aspirin is not a perfect solution to fixing any problem, says Dr. Geoffrey Barnes, co-author of the study and cardiologist at the Cardiovascular Center.
Barnes said their team wanted to identify patients on aspirin who could stop it and see if they could avoid significant bleeding events.
Nurses already reviewing patients ended up consulting with their doctors and deciding whether to prescribe or discontinue aspirin based on the situation.
Based on the findings, they concluded that aspirin has too many adverse side effects, leading to better outcomes with less.
This study consists of 6,700 adults taking warfarin for atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism between 2010 and 2019. These conditions are irregular heart rhythms as well as blood clots.
Patients took low-dose aspirin without a clear indication, such as a recent heart attack, stent placement, or mechanical heart valve.
In a comparison between November 2020 and June 2021, investigators found significantly fewer bleeding instances. They did not see an increase in clotting problems.
People who don't need aspirin can stop taking it to prevent dangerous complications and save lives. Accelerating the pace of this process could help people avoid life-threatening bleeding problems.
Aspirin is still very important for some patients, and guidelines have changed.
One fascinating part of the study is that doctors showed that aspirin was not as important as we thought it was. The amount of patients on aspirin is declining, so what we did was to make this systematic process.
The U.S. has over 1,000 anticoagulation clinics, which is an opportunity for medical professionals to provide a safer experience for patients. With these clinics in the U.S., nurses and pharmacists could identify which patients would stop taking aspirin to prevent unnecessary fatalities.
When patients decide to stop taking aspirin, they should consult with their doctor first before doing so.
In April, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated guidelines against giving aspirin to people older than 60 with no heart problems.
According to the study, aspirin helps people with a history of heart attack and ischemic stroke.
The Chair of the Council found that this study does not change any recommendations for preventing cardiovascular disease. The study did focus on some older medications. Still, the standard of care is to use a newer drug for these issues.
Aspirin and DOACs, such as Eliquis or Pradaxa, treat heart attacks and strokes. Still, it is not always necessary for patients to take both.
It is difficult to eliminate the use of aspirin in treating patients who suffer from cardiovascular disease.
Patients with multiple treatments should have their healthcare tracked, which is essential for efficient treatment. The process will be more efficient if an automated system checks for treatments. Nurse checking and interfacing between patients and doctors would have a positive effect if automated.
Yang advises patients to discuss taking aspirin for pain management with their clinician.
Dr. Yang believes that doctors do not recognize that primary preventions with aspirin are ineffective. There is a time lag where the trend will gradually change
Source: https://consumer.healthday.com/9-20-already-taking-a-blood-thinner-adding-aspirin-may-do-harm-2658304672.html
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