Illustration: Amanda Schutz
If you've never had a heart attack or stroke, you likely should not be taking aspirin to prevent them, according to new research.
University of Alberta professor of family medicine Michael Kolber, '92 BSc, '96 MD, '11 MSc, and University of Calgary family medicine resident Paul Fritsch are co-authors of a paper in Canadian Family Physician that shows the risk of major internal bleeding associated with taking an aspirin a day is higher than any preventative benefits.
"Instead of just taking a daily aspirin like we've been taught for a generation," says Kolber, "we would recommend patients stop smoking, exercise, track their blood pressure and consider the Mediterranean diet."