I just finished a video appointment with a cardiologist where we discussed the clotting thing. Even though he seemed to think I had COVID, and I recently had an abnormal EKG and some mild chest tightness, he thought it was better to avoid blood thinners. Apparently he has been receiving Cochrane reports on COVID before they are publicly available. He said that the increased clotting is usually in patients w/ some kinda predisposition and tends to be worse with more severe symptoms. Even for low-dose aspirin, he thinks the risk of bleeding is larger than the potential benefits. “I’ve seen all these complications from blood thinners.” (I’m 28 FYI.)
Note that despite previous speculation on LW regarding prophylactic use of low-dose aspirin for longevity, a large clinical trial found it wasn’t useful in older folks (age 65+). Note this bit:
Significant bleeding—a known risk of regular aspirin use—was also measured. The investigators noted that aspirin was associated with a significantly increased risk of bleeding, primarily in the gastrointestinal tract and brain. Clinically significant bleeding—hemorrhagic stroke, bleeding in the brain, gastrointestinal hemorrhages or hemorrhages at other sites that required transfusion or hospitalization—occurred in 361 people (3.8 percent) on aspirin and in 265 (2.7 percent) taking the placebo.
At the very least, I suggest you change your recommendation from “aspirin” to “low-dose aspirin”. Overall, I’m more inclined to trust secondhand accounts of Cochrane preprints than collections of anecdotes in the media.
I just finished a video appointment with a cardiologist where we discussed the clotting thing. Even though he seemed to think I had COVID, and I recently had an abnormal EKG and some mild chest tightness, he thought it was better to avoid blood thinners. Apparently he has been receiving Cochrane reports on COVID before they are publicly available. He said that the increased clotting is usually in patients w/ some kinda predisposition and tends to be worse with more severe symptoms. Even for low-dose aspirin, he thinks the risk of bleeding is larger than the potential benefits. “I’ve seen all these complications from blood thinners.” (I’m 28 FYI.)
Note that despite previous speculation on LW regarding prophylactic use of low-dose aspirin for longevity, a large clinical trial found it wasn’t useful in older folks (age 65+). Note this bit:
At the very least, I suggest you change your recommendation from “aspirin” to “low-dose aspirin”. Overall, I’m more inclined to trust secondhand accounts of Cochrane preprints than collections of anecdotes in the media.
Thanks, John. Based on this, I’ve removed my recommendation that people take aspirin, and I’ve added your full comment to that part of the post.