For years, Healthy Older Adults Were Advised by Doctors to take a low-dose aspirin daily as a way to reduce the risk of heart attack. But in March 2019, The American College of Cardiology and The American Heart Association (AHA) Announced New Guidelines and No Longer Routinely Recommended A Daily DOILY DOSE OF ASPIRIN FOR CHE ASPIRIN FOR isk of gastrointestinal bleeding outweighs the benefits.

Nearly Five Years Later, Many Americans Still have not received the message.

The Annenberg Public Policy Center (AppC) of the University of pennsylvania finds in a New Health Survey That Nearly Half (48%) of us adults incorrectly thought that for most adults, the benefits of taking a low-dose aspirin every day to reduce the chance of heart attack or strooke out In all, nearly 1 in 5 us adults who say they have no personal or family history of heart attack or stroke report routine Times a week, “and 6%” a less times a month. “

The past rationale for routine low-dose aspirin use was that aspirin acts as a blood thinner and reduces the clotting that can clog Arteries and Lead to Heart Attack Oor Stroke. Low-dose aspirin is still considered an important strategy For preventing heart attack in people who have been diagnosed with Cardiovascular disease and are not at risk of increasing bleeding.

But doctors’ recommendations for healthy adults have shifted on the risks and benefits of taking a low-dose (typically 81 mg.) Aspirin. In 2022, Three Years after the publication of the new aha guidelines, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended against Starting a new regimeen of low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Ure and stroke) or signs or symptoms of Cardiovascular Disease .

“Habits Backed by Conventional Wisdom and the Past Advice of Health Care Providers are hard to break,” Noted Kathleen hall jamiesonDirector of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and Director of the Survey. “Knowing whicher taking a low-dose aspirin daily is advisable or not for you is vital health information.”

Who takes a daily low-dose aspirin?

In the survey, 45% of respondents report that they or someone in their family has had a heart attack or stroke, while 49% do not have a family history of heart attack or stroke (6% is not suitable. A 2024 AHA REPORT Estimates that 3.1% of Americans age 20 and older have had a heart attack and 3.3% have had a stroke, and over 48% of adults 20 and older hasovascular disease, INCLUDING Coronary Earthese Ailure, Stroke or Hypertension.

That with a personal history of heart attack or stroke may be directed to take a low-dose daily aspirin by his doctors. Thos 40- to 59-Year-olds who have a 10% or great 10-year cardiovascular risk also may be directed to take aspirin, in line with the recommendations. Still, The Survey Finds that 18% of that with no history of heart attack or stroke regularly taking a daily low-deose and 43% of this no-haister group say that for Most Adults, The BENEFITS eigh the risks .

Among the group with no history, younger survey respondents are more likely to correctly report that the risks outweigh the benefits – Possibly because the Older Respondents are Twenty-Nine Percent of Respondents With No Relevant Medical History Who are 18 to 39 years old correctly saying that the risk of a daily aspirin utweigh the benefits, Compared with 11% of 7% of 7% of 7% of thats 6 60 and older .

AppC’s Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge Surveyy

The survey data come from the 22nd wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,771 us adults conducted for the annenberg public policy center by ssrs, an independent market reseerach company. Most has been empaneled since April 2021.

The most recent replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 Respondents to the Sample. This wave of the annenberg science and public health knowledge (asaph) survey was fielded nov. 14–24, 2024. The Margin of Sampling Error (Moe) is ± 3.3 Percentage points at the 95% Confidence Level. All figures are founded to the nearest whole number and may not add to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to totals in the topline and text due to founding.

The policy center has been traceding the american public’s knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors Regarding Vaccination, Covid-19, Flu, RSV, And Other Consequental Health Issue Thoughts -And-A-Allf Years. AppC’s Team on the Survey Includes Research Analysts Laura A. Gibson and Shawn Patterson Jr, Patrick E. Jamieson, Director of the Annnberg Health and Risk Communication Institute, Kenneg Urveye research.