HealthPartners Institute research informs new aspirin recommendations

Bloomington, Minn. — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force today issued new recommendations for starting the daily use of low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack and stroke. The recommendations are based, in part, on HealthPartners Institute data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The data was generated by a mathematical model that HealthPartners Institute created to assess the potential benefits and risks of starting daily low-dose aspirin. The model, which accounts for various heart disease risk factors, was designed to reflect the U.S. population and incorporates findings from a systematic review of the latest evidence from aspirin-related research conducted by collaborators at Kaiser Permanente.

In their study, HealthPartners Institute researchers determined that, for 40- to 59-year-olds, the likely benefits of using daily low-dose aspirin to prevent first heart attacks and strokes outweighed the potential harms, such as bleeding events. In addition, their study found that 60- to -79-year-olds without prior heart disease would likely experience more harms than benefits if they started taking daily aspirin.

New recommendation

HealthPartners modeling results were one of several analyses on which the USPSTF based its latest recommendations.

The independent panel of national experts now say people who are 40 to 59 years old and at higher risk for developing heart disease or stroke may benefit from starting to take aspirin, but they should decide together with their healthcare professional if starting aspirin is right for them.

In addition, the Task Force cautions that aspirin use comes with the potential for serious harms, especially internal bleeding. People who are 60 years and older should not start taking aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke because these potential harms cancel out the benefits.

Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of mortality in the United States, accounting for more than one in four deaths.