aspirin/AMD

[melinda68]

There seem to be conflicting opinions on the subject, but recent research seems to suggest that taking a daily baby aspirin to ward off cardiovascular disease actually increases your risk of developing macular degeneration in a statistically significant way. I have been taking a baby aspirin - purely as a prophylactic - along with my daily vitamins for a year so so. I'm a 44-year-old female. Should I stop? I am adopted so do not know if I have any risk factors for either AMD or heart disease/stroke in my family but I do have undiagnosed visual symptoms that have warranted investigation by retinal specialists over the years.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[melinda68]

Ah, interesting. Thank you or posting this, Dr Hagen. Much appreciated.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Regular aspirin use linked to wet AMD
This analysis of the Beaver Dam Eye Study, which included examinations every five years during a 20-year period, shows that regular aspirin use more than doubles the incidence of neovascular AMD. Among regular aspirin users, the cumulative incidence of late and neovascular AMD was 1.9 percent at five years, 7 percent at 10 years and 9.3 percent at 15 years. The authors note that there is not enough clinical evidence to advise a change in clinical practice. However, they suggest patients with a very high risk of developing AMD be re-evaluated. Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 20, 2012

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Thanks. Just got finished taking my morning asprin.
JCH MD

[melinda68]

(I realised the figures were transposed, but your point was clear.)

[melinda68]

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

tHANK YOU Melinda but I reversed the figures asprin takers was 0.06 and non asprin takers 0.16    So naturally the press, taking it out of context and not emphazing what small numbers there are used "Asprin doubles (or triples) the risk of blindness (I've seen those headlines myself). I wonder what ever happened to objective and responsible journalism?

JCH MD

[melinda68]

Yes, the risk of developing AMD is kind of moot if you're already dead! Thank you for providing additional context.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

In my opinion this study was, in typical fashion for a mostly irresponsible media, bady misquoted. I personally take aspirin every day (twice per day to be precise) and have no intention to quit.   This was a small study, stastically under-powered and the incidence of "wet" macular degeneration in elderly asprin takers was 0.014  and in the non asprin takers was 0.06   HOWEVER it is very likely that many of the non-asprin takers that would have lived to develop wet ARMD died of cardio-vascular disease that could have been preented by asprin.

Responsible medical authorities in general medicine and ophthalmology have recommended that the decision to take daily asprin should not be based on this one small study.

JCH MD