Heart disease patients are being urged to keep taking aspirin after a study has found stopping the drug raises heart attack risk by nearly two-thirds.
Against medical advice, up to half of long-term users are believed to stop taking aspirin, researchers say in the British Medical Journal.
And this puts them at a 60% greater risk of a non-fatal heart attack.
The findings come from a UK database of nearly 40,000 patients who had been prescribed the drug by their doctor.
For every 1,000 patients over a one-year period, there were about four extra cases of non-fatal heart attack among patients who recently stopped taking low-dose aspirin compared with those who stayed on it.
Aspirin
Low-dose aspirin is recommended for all heart disease patients to help prevent blood clots which can lead to future heart attacks.
Ellen Mason, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research is yet another reminder of how effective a little daily pill of aspirin can be at preventing someone from having another heart attack. So it’s very concerning how many people with heart disease are not taking their aspirin.
“This very cheap, but valuable, golden oldie is one of the best researched drugs we have in our arsenal to stop further heart attacks. The benefits certainly outweigh any risks for most people.
“If you’ve had a heart attack then stopping taking your aspirin increases your risk of having another heart attack and this can result in permanent damage to your heart. Don’t simply stop taking your meds, always talk to your doctor first.”
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Women who are taking a baby aspirin or two a day to safeguard their heart health may be improving their memory and thinking skills, too, according to a preliminary research.
The finding is the result of a five-year study, which looked at more than 100 older people who were at similar risk for heart disease.
It was found that scores on a standardized test that tests memory and other cognitive skills increased slightly in women who took 75 to 150 milligrams of aspirin a day while dropping in those who didn’t take aspirin, reports CBS News.
Still, “this does not mean low-dose aspirin will prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease,” says Maria Carrillo, PhD, senior director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Don’t start taking aspirin on your own,” she added.
The study was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2011.
HEART patients who stop taking prescribed aspirin are two thirds more likely to suffer another attack, according to research.
People with a history of heart disease who took low doses of aspirin to help prevent blood clots but then stopped were at a 60 per cent greater risk of suffering non-fatal seizures.
This was irrespective of the length of time the patient had been taking low-dose aspirin, the study reported.
Small amounts of the drug are used widely to prevent further episodes of cardiovascular disease in people who have already had problems.
The approach – known as secondary prevention – is well-established but up to half of long-term users are believed to stop taking aspirin.
The latest research used information on 39,513 patients from the Health Improvement Network, a database of UK health records.
An international team from Spain and Sweden, led by Dr Luis Garcia Rodriguez, looked at those aged 50 to 84 who had been prescribed aspirin between 2000 and 2007. They were followed for around three years.
For every 1,000 patients, there were four more non-fatal heart attacks among those who had recently stopped taking the low-dose aspirin than those who had continued – a rise for those who came off the drug of 60 per cent.
There was no increase in risk of coronary heart disease death alone in patients who discontinued treatment. Dr Rodriguez’s team said: “Reducing the number of patients who discontinue low-dose aspirin could have a major impact on the benefit obtained with low-dose aspirin in the general population.”
Cardiologist Dr Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai, of the University of Modena in Italy, and colleagues reviewed the study for the British Medical Journal, who published the study online.
He said: “These findings are important and support previous studies showing an increase in adverse events after aspirin withdrawal.”
Patients are being advised they should never stop aspirin unless they are explicitly told to do so, and doctors should maintain their patients on low-dose aspirin for as long as they can.
Ellen Mason, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research is yet another reminder of how effective a little daily pill of aspirin can be. So it’s very concerning how many people with heart disease are not taking their aspirin.”