Question:
I read in the newspaper that people who take aspirin every day have a higher risk of dying from a stomach bleed. Should I stop taking my tablet?
Answer:
If you have had aspirin prescribed by your doctor then you should continue to take it. The research you are talking about was looking at the risk of bleeding and whether a protective medicine -a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole or lansoprazole would reduce that risk. They did find the older you are, the more risk you have of bleeding and also there was less risk when the extra medicine was added in.
The most important thing is that there is a definite reduction in second heart attacks and strokes when an aspirin 75mg is taken on a daily basis. What has not been shown is taking one where you haven’t already had an event, will prevent an attack. When someone comes into the pharmacy to buy aspirin 75mg I always check that the person has had the aspirin prescribed by a doctor. Taking it for example on a long haul flight to prevent deep vein thrombosis has not been proved. Any worries speak to your doctor.
