People aged 60 and older should not take aspirin for heart disease and stroke prevention, the US Preventive Services Task Force said Tuesday.
In a draft recommendation statement, the independent panel of experts warned aspirin use can cause harm besides lowering the chance of having a first heart attack or stroke.
"The most serious potential harm is bleeding in the stomach, intestines, and brain. The chance of bleeding increases with age and can be life-threatening," said the statement.
About one in three deaths stem from heart disease and stroke in the US.
"It is now recommended that once people turn 60 years old, they should not consider starting to take aspirin because the risk of bleeding cancels out the benefits of preventing heart disease," the statement read.
The task force also warned those 40 to 59 who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease or have a history of cardiovascular disease should decide with their doctors whether to start taking aspirin.
"It's important that people who are 40 to 59 years old and don't have a history of heart disease have a conversation with their clinician to decide together if starting to take aspirin is right for them," said Task Force member John Wong.
As well as relieving pain, lowering fever and reducing inflammation, aspirin can prevent blood clots from forming.
