Key result
Targeting age-related upper GI changes may improve low-dose aspirin tolerability in older adults.
Why the study?
Many older subjects are unable to take aspirin due to gastrointestinal side-effects, limiting its widespread use despite its preventive benefits.
How can gastrointestinal tolerability of prophylactic aspirin be improved in older subjects?
How can gastrointestinal tolerability of prophylactic aspirin be improved in older subjects?
Improving the gastrointestinal tolerability of aspirin in older adults could allow more patients to benefit from its prophylactic effects against cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer.
May guide age-specific aspirin strategies in older adults; leaves open prospective trials to confirm tolerability gains.
Aspirin has a role in the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer's dementia and several cancers. Encouraging all 50 year olds to take low-dose aspirin doubles their chances of living a healthy life into their nineties. The widespread use of aspirin, however, is limited as many older subjects are currently unable to take aspirin because of gastrointestinal side-effects. This review explores why gastrointestinal events occur with aspirin use and how a net benefit from prophylactic aspirin might be achieved in older subjects. It is suggested that, by understanding the age-related changes in upper gastrointestinal physiology and the mechanisms by which aspirin leads to the risk reductions associated with its use, it may be possible to direct interventions to improve tolerability in older subjects. This would allow greater numbers of older subjects to gain the benefits associated with aspirin use.
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Newton et al. (2003) conducted a review in Aspirin intolerance and gastrointestinal side-effects. Aspirin was evaluated. Understanding age-related changes in upper gastrointestinal physiology may help direct interventions to improve aspirin tolerability and allow greater numbers of older subjects to gain its benefits.
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