Aspirin has been credited with many health benefits, from lowering a fever to reducing your risk of a heart attack. But can this wonder drug improve your bones and lessen your risk of fracture should you fall?
That’s what a new study aimed to find out.
Multiple studies have found regular aspirin use reduced the risk of fractures by 17%. But, as Harvard Health Publishing pointed out, these studies are observational, “which means they could only show a link between aspirin use and lower risk of fracture. Such studies cannot prove that aspirin use was the actual reason for fewer fractures.”
However, the first randomized, controlled study was published earlier this month that tested a possible link between aspirin use and bone health.
Although taking aspirin for heart health is pretty much common knowledge, the drug’s bone benefits aren’t as obvious.
According to a study published in June, aspirin might play a role in the development and survival in bone marrow cells. Also, aspirin might help to prevent falls and fracture by improving cardiovascular health.
The most recent study, published December 1 in JAMA, assigned to nearly 17,000 adults either a daily low-dose aspirin or a placebo. For nearly five years, the participants were monitored for falls and fractures.
The researchers found no difference in fracture risk between the two groups. In the aspirin group, 8.6% experienced falls and fractures. The placebo group saw 9.5%. The aspirin users also experienced a higher rate of serious falls, defined in the study as those leading to an emergency room visit or hospital admission.
This might be because of aspirin’s blood thinning effect, Harvard reported. “An injury that ordinarily would cause only minor bruising or bleeding might require medical attention if a person was taking aspirin.”
The researchers concluded low-dose aspirin does not improve bone health or reduce fractures from falls.
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