Health study: Women over the age of 65 should consider taking regular low-dose aspirin to reduce their risk of stroke, the author of a major new study has advised.
Dr Julie Buring of the Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston told the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology that while the decision to start taking aspirin should be based on a consultation with a doctor, in her opinion the benefits of taking aspirin outweighed the risks in older women.
The Women's Health Study is the largest ever trial to look at cardiovascular disease in women. In it, 40,000 initially healthy American women aged 45 and older were followed up for 10 years to see if they developed a heart attack or a stroke. One half of the group were asked to take 100mgs of aspirin every second day, while the other half were given a placebo (dummy pill).
The overall results show those taking the low-dose aspirin suffered 17 per cent less strokes than those taking a placebo. In absolute terms, 266 women on placebo had a stroke compared with 221 women taking aspirin. The researchers noted a 22 per cent fall in the incidence of transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke in those taking aspirin.
But the most consistent benefit of taking aspirin was found in women aged 65 or older. They had a 30 per cent lower risk of suffering the type of stroke caused by a clot travelling to the brain.
The results are also significant because they suggest that women benefit from aspirin in a different way to men. As the study showed no overall reduction in heart attacks for those taking aspirin, which is a well-proven benefit for men taking aspirin, Dr Buring told the meeting "the apparent sex-linked differences observed in primary prevention data are unexpected and require further evaluation".
Dr Paul Ridker, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a co-author of the study, said: "The new data suggests that many women, particularly those over the age of 65, are likely to attain a net benefit from preventive aspirin therapy."
But, he said, women "must balance both the benefit and risks and should consult with their personal physician before beginning therapy". The reason for Dr Ridker's warning is that aspirin can cause both stomach ulcers and bleeding into the gastrointestinal (GI) system. The study's authors reported a significant increase in the occurrence of GI bleeding requiring blood transfusion.
But there was an added bonus for women over 65. Unlike the younger women in the study, older women who took aspirin every second day experienced fewer heart attacks.
Prof Des O'Neill, consultant in geriatric medicine at Tallaght Hospital, said: "While I have yet to see the study details, the results sound encouraging. It also emphasises the different mechanisms of disease in stroke and heart attack."