I remember as a kid, aspirin was the only medication available for pretty much everything from fever, sore throat, headache, you name it. Yes, I am old but seriously, it was often referred to as a “miracle drug”. Of course, I always asked questions about pretty much everything, including “how does the medicine know where to go” when I would take it for a headache. I guess it didn’t really matter, it worked, and my parents couldn’t answer the question either!

Then came the revelation that a baby aspirin (80 mg low dose aspirin) may be effective at preventing stroke and cardiac events! Imagine, again the miracle drug knew where to go and work its magic! Pretty much everyone over the age of 40 started taking this miracle drug to prevent debilitating life events, supposedly. Now, bring on a new study from ESC Heart Failure that was published in Wiley Online Library.

The study aimed to evaluate the role of aspirin use on heart failure incidence in primary and secondary prevention and whether aspirin use increases the risk of incident heart failure in patients at risk. Interestingly, the results of the study lead the researchers to suggest that aspirin should be prescribed with caution in patients at risk of heart failure or having heart failure. What should you do if you are currently on an aspirin regimen? Don’t “self-treat”, seek medical advice from your primary care physician and/or cardiologist! Stay well, stay informed, and stay tuned!