Have you been told by a doctor that you need to take aspirin to help your
heart? Almost a third of all middle-aged adults in the United States take
aspirin on a regular basis. Doctors recommend a low-dose spirin regimens
for those that have had heart attacks, strokes, or have a risk for either
one. A new study shows that the aspirin you might be taking to benefit
your health in one area could be harmful in another.
A 15-year study recently found that regular aspirin use (they classified
“regular” as once a week) was strongly linked to neovascular
age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause blindness, in
older adults. The longer a person takes aspirin, the higher the risk was
for developing neovascular AMD. Many adults take aspirin as part of their
daily regimen, so their regular use would be far beyond the “once
a week” that the study examined.
Doctors participating in the study said that aspirin is often not viewed
as a drug by those taking it, so many patients are not aware of all the
possible side effects. Many patients are even on a low dose labeled as
children’s aspirin so the risk is assumed to be minimal by those
taking it. Some may be aware that aspirin use can lead to internal bleeding
or ulcers, but this new study shows that other effects still being discovered.
If you have been misinformed of your medications’ side effects, contact the
medical malpractice attorneys at Shevlin Smith today at 703-721-4233. Our board-certified
lawyers in Fairfax, Virginia, can help you navigate the process.
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