DAILY low-dose aspirin does not reduce the risk of factures or serious falls in healthy older men and women, according to a new paper published this week by JAMA Internal Medicine.
The research is a sub-study of the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial which aimed to determine if daily low-dose aspirin (100mg) reduces the risk of falls.
The placebo-controlled trial led locally by Monash University, which involves 16,703 Australians and 2,411 in the USA, found the risk of first fracture was similar in the aspirin and placebo groups, but the risk of serious fall was statistically significantly greater in the patients taking aspirin, with a total of 884 falls compared to 804 in those on the placebo.
The findings indicate a potential additional risk for the use of low-dose aspirin in initially healthy older people - but the authors also noted that the findings don't apply to those with a medical reason to take aspirin, such as after a heart attack.
Monash Executive Director of Research and Innovation, Associate, Professor Anna Barker, noted that "older adults with a medical reason to take aspirin should continue to do so".
"[But] for healthy older people without heart disease or prior stroke, aspirin appears to provide little benefit and may do more harm than good by increasing a person's risk of having a serious fall.
"Falls are frequent for many older people and can have several negative impacts including fractures, soft tissue injuries, loss of confidence and independence.
"They are a frequent reason an older person attends an emergency department and needs to receive care in hospital," Barker said.
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