Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : November 24, 2021 10:49 AM IST
Aspirin is generally perceived as a quick cure to many problems including fever, pain and inflammation. In some cases, it is also used to treat or prevent more severe problems like heart attacks, chest pain and more. But is it really safe to take aspirin? Are there any side effects of taking this medicine? A new study has found that it might cause some damage to your heart. A new study published in the 'ESC Heart Failure Journal' found that aspirin use can increase the risk of heart diseases.
For many people, aspirin is a cost-effective way to treat problems like fever and inflammation. But it doesn't seem such a good option when it comes to your heart, as per the study published in a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
As per the study results, taking aspirin can elevate the risk of heart failure by 26 per cent. Other factors associated with a higher risk include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Study author Dr Blerim Mujaj of the University of Freiburg, Germany said, "This is the first study to report that among individuals with a least one risk factor for heart failure, those taking aspirins were more likely to subsequently develop the condition than those not using the medication. While the findings require confirmation, they do indicate that the potential link between aspirin and heart failure needs to be clarified."
For the study, the researchers included 30,827 people at risk of heart failure who were enrolled in the HOMAGE study in Western Europe and the United States. Smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease were all classified as "at risk." At the start of the study, all of the participants were over 40 years old and had no signs of heart failure. At the time of enrollment, individuals' aspirin consumption was recorded, and they were divided into two groups: users and non-users. Participants were tracked for the first time they developed fatal or non-fatal heart failure that necessitated hospitalisation.
The average age of the participants was 67, with women accounting for 34% of the total. At the start of the study, 7,698 people (or 25%) were using aspirin. Over the course of the 5.3-year follow-up, 1,330 people suffered heart failure.
After controlling for sex, age, BMI, smoking, alcohol use, blood pressure, heart rate, blood cholesterol, creatinine, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, beta-blockers, and lipid-lowering drugs, the researchers looked at the link between aspirin use and incident heart failure. Taking aspirin was linked to a 26% increased chance of developing new hepatitis. Taking aspirin was linked to a 26% increased chance of a new heart failure diagnosis on its own.
The researchers repeated the analysis after matching aspirin users and non-users for heart failure risk variables to ensure that the findings were consistent. Aspirin was linked to a 26% increased risk of a new heart failure diagnosis in this matched analysis. After removing participants with a history of cardiovascular illness, the study was performed to double-check the results. Aspirin consumption was linked to a 27% increased incidence of acute heart failure in 22,690 participants (74%) who were free of cardiovascular disease.
(with inputs from agencies)
