Aspirin has been long known for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease in people. It was once a commonly used medicine for treating minor aches, pains and fevers. However, the drug has come under scrutiny many times for some side effects associated with it. In India, over the counter sale of the medicine was banned when it was found to pose a threat to dengue patients.
Aspirin belongs to the class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which is generally found useful against pain, fever and inflammation. Earlier studies had shown that daily low-dose of the drug was lowering the risk of cardiovascular events in people. While the US Food and Drug Administration have always encouraged the patients to consume the medicine under a physician’s supervision, the drug has seen some careless consumption among people. There are many new studies that show that aspirin was never everyman’s cup.
Backfired in dengue cases
Delhi government had banned over the counter sales of aspirin without a prescription. When dengue cases were on rise, the drug had reportedly caused destruction of platelets in the patient’s blood. People who had been consuming the drug without any prescription were found more prone to haemorrhage symptoms and had higher risk of dying from the disease. The drug was to be sold only on the basis of a prescription written by a qualified doctor.
Found unsafe for healthy older people
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association had revised their guidelines on the consumption of aspirin, urging the elderly to stay away from the popular blood thinner. The guidelines were issued following a study Effect of Aspirin on Cardiovascular Events and Bleeding in the Healthy Elderly published in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed that the low-dosage of the drug as a prevention strategy of cardiovascular problems in older adults resulted in a higher risk of haemorrhage.
Can induce bleeding
Studies have shown that long-term use of aspirin was closely associated with increased risk of ulcer bleeding. The drug was found to increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding even at lower doses. Some studies also found a close connection between aspirin usage and occurrence of peptic ulcers.
Aspirin not useful in all strokes
Aspirin has been known to work well in lowering the risk of stroke as it eases blood flow by thinning blood. However, not all strokes are caused by blood clots. Some strokes are caused by ruptured blood vessels in the brain and aspirin could make these bleeding strokes more severe.
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