Despite authoritative advisories cautioning against the habitual use of daily aspirin in healthy older adults, a notable fraction of Americans persist in the belief that it remains advantageous. Recent findings reveal that 18 percent of individuals devoid of any heart disease or stroke history still routinely consume aspirin, disregarding evidence that the associated dangers frequently surpass potential benefits. 

For decades, healthcare practitioners have advocated for daily low-dose aspirin as a safeguard against heart attacks. This long-standing guidance shifted in March 2019 when the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (AHA) issued updated protocols, retracting their endorsement of daily aspirin for adults over 70 without cardiovascular conditions. The elevated risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging was deemed to overshadow its preventive advantages. 

Yet, nearly five years later, public awareness of this pivotal change remains inconsistent, according to scitechdaily.com. 

A comprehensive survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania disclosed that 48 percent of American adults still incorrectly assume that daily low-dose aspirin is broadly beneficial in warding off heart attacks and strokes, despite evidence to the contrary. 

Alarmingly, nearly 1 in 5 adults without any personal or familial history of heart disease or stroke habitually take low-dose aspirin. Of these, 10 percent adhere to a near-daily regimen, 2 percent consume it several times weekly, and 6 percent take it periodically each month. 

Historically, the rationale behind daily aspirin use was grounded in its blood-thinning properties, which help prevent clot formation that could obstruct arteries and trigger cardiovascular events. For patients diagnosed with heart disease and deemed at minimal risk for bleeding complications, low-dose aspirin remains a cornerstone of preventive care. 

However, prevailing medical guidelines have evolved. In 2022, the US Preventive Services Task Force extended previous recommendations, advising against initiating low-dose aspirin therapy for adults aged 60 and older who lack a history of cardiovascular disease or its warning signs. This adjustment reflects mounting concerns over bleeding risks outweighing any potential heart-protective benefits in this demographic. 

“Long-standing habits, especially those once reinforced by trusted medical advice, are notoriously difficult to abandon,” remarked Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and the lead researcher of the survey. “Understanding whether a daily low-dose aspirin is appropriate for you isn’t merely beneficial—it’s essential,” as per reports by scitechdaily.com. 

Who Still Takes Daily Aspirin? 

The survey revealed that 45 percent of respondents have either personally experienced a heart attack or stroke or have close relatives who have. Conversely, 49 percent reported no family history of such events, while 6 percent remained uncertain. 

The 2024 AHA report underscores the pervasiveness of cardiovascular disease in the US, noting that 3.1 percent of adults over 20 have suffered a heart attack, 3.3 percent have had a stroke, and nearly half of all adults (48 percent) live with some form of cardiovascular condition—including coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, or hypertension. 

For individuals with a confirmed history of cardiovascular events, medical professionals often continue to recommend daily low-dose aspirin as a preventive measure. Additionally, adults aged 40 to 59 who face at least a 10 percent risk of a cardiovascular event within the next decade may also be advised to take aspirin. 

Nonetheless, the survey highlighted that 18 percent of individuals with no personal or familial history of heart disease still self-prescribe daily low-dose aspirin. Even more concerning, 43 percent of this group believe the general benefits of daily aspirin use outweigh the associated health risks. 

Younger adults appear more attuned to the revised guidelines. Among those aged 18 to 39 with no heart disease history, 29 percent accurately identified the risks of daily aspirin as surpassing the benefits. This contrasts starkly with just 11 percent of respondents aged 40 to 59 and a mere 7 percent of those over 60 acknowledging this fact—perhaps reflecting older generations’ lingering adherence to outdated medical advice, as per scitechdaily.com. 

About the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge Survey 

The survey data stems from the 22nd wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge (ASAPH) survey, encompassing 1,771 US adults. Conducted by the independent research firm SSRS, the survey utilized a random probability sampling design to maintain national representation. Since its inception in April 2021, small, randomized replenishment samples have been periodically added to mitigate participant attrition, including a recent addition of 360 respondents in September 2024. 

The latest wave of data was collected between November 14 and 24, 2024, and carries a margin of sampling error of ±3.3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Data has been rounded to the nearest whole number, which may result in minor discrepancies in subcategory totals.