Taking aspirin to lower down stroke risk? Read this before poppoing out the next pill

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

aspirin daily may prevent strokes? However, a recent study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open has challenged this widely held belief. Contrary to earlier assumptions, the study found that such a practice may not significantly reduce the risk of ischemic stroke, while it could increase the chances of bleeding within the brain tissue. The research involved 19,114 elderly participants, with 9,525 receiving aspirin and 9,589 receiving a placebo.

Over a follow-up period of approximately 4.7 years, no noteworthy reduction in ischemic stroke, a type of clot-related stroke, was observed between the two groups. However, the researchers did discover a statistically significant 38% rise in intracranial bleeding, which includes haemorrhagic stroke (brain damage caused by bleeding in the brain) and other causes of intracranial haemorrhage, among those who were given aspirin. Experts in the field have long emphasized the importance of evaluating the risks versus the benefits of prescribing low dose aspirin for stroke prevention, particularly in the elderly who are more susceptible to head injuries from falls.

Doctors stress the need for careful analysis and consideration of the potential dangers, which could lead to excessive bleeding and even death in some cases. Experts say that aspirin may work as an antiplatelet agent for secondary prevention of stroke and cardiovascular disease. However, its effectiveness for primary prevention remains uncertain.