\u201cMost major health organisations will not \u2018jump the gun\u2019 and recommend daily aspirin to healthy people without evidence. At the moment they\u00a0do not have enough information<\/em>\u00a0to make a positive recommendation,\u201d said Prof McNeil, Head of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Every drug has the potential for side-effects and aspirin is no exception. Aspirin is often prescribed to people who have had a heart attack or stroke because research shows in this instance, the benefits outweigh the risks. The effect of aspirin on preventing or delaying cardiovascular disease, cancer and macular degeneration in older\u00a0adults is possible, but unproven.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe do not know whether aspirin has, on balance, a favourable or unfavourable effect on health. Previous research suggests that aspirin may prevent the onset of disease, however when we prescribe a drug to healthy people for prevention, doctors are acutely aware that benefits must outweigh the risks. We therefore require a higher level of evidence about the balance of benefits and risks. ASPREE will provide this,\u201d said Prof McNeil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He added that government health authorities, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council<\/a> and the US National Institutes of Health<\/a> are supportive of the ASPREE trial because the question is so important for doctors and their patients.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Melbourne Cardiologist and Head of Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prof Andrew Tonkin<\/a> (below) agrees.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cTo be able to advise people appropriately we must get the answer to the fundamental question addressed by ASPREE \u2013 what is the net effect of aspirin on healthy life years which are lived, taking into account aspirin’s possible effects,<\/a> both good and bad?\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The results of the ASPREE trial should be known by 2018.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It is recommended that anyone thinking of changing their aspirin regime as a result of reports should speak to their GP first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For more information, please contact ASPREE on 1800 728 745.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ASPREE PI, Prof. John McNeil explains how ASPREE will provide high level evidence to answer important questions about aspirin use in healthy older adults. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1200","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[28,53,74],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5570"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5570"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8489,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5570\/revisions\/8489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspree.org\/aus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/aspree.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/03\/Prof_John_McNeil_Monash-e1429681710587.jpg\")
\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/aspree.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2012\/05\/Andrew-Tonkin.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n