Men's Health

An Aspirin a Day ... or Not?

More Isn't Always Better continued...

Unfortunately, unlike aspirin, these gastroprotective drugs cost a bit more than a couple of cents a day. "If there were no added cost to taking a PPI with a daily aspirin, every aspirin user could benefit from an added level of GI protection," says Fendrick. "But given the current cost of these agents, I only currently recommend gastroprotective therapy to those aspirin users who are at increased risk for GI complications."

That includes people who have had gastrointestinal complications in the past, people who are using high-dose NSAIDs or combining aspirin with other NSAIDs, and people who are taking anticoagulant drugs, among others. "Many older people take aspirin for their heart and then another NSAID for their arthritis," says Fendrick. "This is one of those cases in which two rights make a wrong; the aspirin is good, the NSAID is good, but together they can be dangerous."