“They say aspirin is good for thinning the blood and I don’t want thick blood flowing to my heart. I want nice flowing blood”, declared American President Donald Trump to justify his daily taking of this medication. And for years, low-dose aspirin has in fact been seen as a kind of health insurance: good for the heart and perhaps also protective against certain cancers, particularly colorectal. Many healthy elderly people have therefore considered, sometimes on their own initiative, a 100 mg tablet per day to “put all the chances on their side“.
New research carried out by Monash University and published in the journal JAMA Oncology shakes up this scenario among seniors. By following more than 19,000 elderly people for nearly nine years, researchers show that daily intake oflow dose aspirin did not reduce the appearance of cancers, and that it was even accompanied by an increased risk of death from cancer!
Daily aspirin and cancer: what the study shows in the elderly
Between 2010 and 2017, the ASPREE trial included 19,114 adults living in Australia and the United States, mostly aged 70 or over, without known cardiovascular disease, dementia or disability limiting autonomy. They were drawn at random to receive 100 mg ofaspirinor a placebo. From 2018 to 2024, the ASPREE-XT extension study continued their monitoring after stopping the tablets.
Over a median of 8.6 years of follow-up, 3,448 cancers and 1,173 cancer deaths were recorded. Low-dose aspirin did not reduce the overall incidence of cancers, including colorectal cancer. In contrast, cancer-related mortality was higher in the aspirin group, with an average excess of approximately 15%.
“Although we saw no overall change in cancer incidence risk with aspirin when initiated at older ages, we observed that cancer mortality remained significantly elevated at 15%. However, the increased risk of cancer mortality observed with aspirin in participants in the initial ASPREE study was not maintained in the post-trial ASPREE-eXTension study, suggesting no lasting effect of aspirin, although longer follow-up of the cohort is warranted.said Associate Professor Suzanne Orchard, from the School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine at Monash University.
Why aspirin does not protect against cancer after age 70
This result is surprising because older work, carried out mainly in middle-aged adults, had suggested a reduction in the risk of digestive cancer after several years of aspirin. Oncologist Katherine Van Loon emphasizes that these new data in seniors go against what had been observed in younger patients and that biological factors linked to age could explain this difference.
Based on these results, it is not recommended to start a low-dose aspirin program for several years as a preventive measure against cancer in older adults. People concerned about their risk of cancer should consult their doctor to determine the health care strategy best suited to their situation.” summarized Professor Suzanne Orchard.
Elderly people on aspirin: should we change strategy?
What to do if you are already over 70 and take aspirin every day? The ASPREE study focused on people without a history of cardiovascular disease, dementia or disability, so these results mainly concern those who use aspirin for “primary” prevention. After a heart attack or stroke, aspirin often remains essential to prevent a recurrence.
In any case, it is best not to stop or start this medication without medical advice, as the doctor may suggest other ways to reduce the risk of cancer, such as recommended screenings, stopping smoking or alcohol.