For decades, the medical community has advocated taking a daily baby aspirin to prevent heart attacks. And for those who have already had a heart attack or have other cardiovascular risks, that recommendation regarding a daily aspirin regimen continues to be in place. However, for those who have never had a heart attack and have no risk factors, taking aspirin as a preventive measure is no longer recommended. Rather, for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, healthy lifestyle modifications are considered superior, given the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding that comes from aspirin use.

Longtime readers of agebuzz may remember last Fall’s post “Take Two Aspirin- Or Maybe Don’t,” examining aspirin usage in healthy people with low risk of a heart attack. That post cited a study from the New England Journal of Medicine that indicated that aspirin apparently does not reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event in healthy older people but could lead to other complications, such as hemorrhages.

Recently, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued new guidelines that state “Aspirin should be limited to people at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease and a very low risk of bleeding.” Additionally, they recommended avoiding aspirin if you are over 70 years old or for anyone at increased risk of bleeding.

Remember, always consult your doctor for medical advice. But before making that drug store run, read more about what to take, and what not to take, here.