Millions of US adults aged 70 years and over previously advised to take aspirin for primary prevention would not now have it recommended for routine continued use — in particular those with diabetes at low risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) — say the authors of a new study investigating trends in use of the medication.

The cross-sectional study looked at aspirin use for both primary and secondary prevention of CVD in older adults (≥ 60 years), with primary prevention being the key concern in this age group for whom harms, mainly bleeding, might outweigh benefits…