According to a new study published by the European Society of Cardiology, taking aspirin can increase the risk of heart failure by up to 26% in patients with at least one risk factor that predisposes them to this condition.
- In patients with risk factors for heart failure such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or smoking, taking aspirin could increase the risk of developing this condition by 26%.
- The authors of the study invite practitioners to prescribe aspirin with caution to patients suffering from heart failure or presenting risk factors.
Affecting more than 65 million people worldwide, including one million people in France, heart failure is characterized by a chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood or to pump it hard enough to provide the oxygen necessary for the heart. ‘organization. Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for people over 65 today, and risk factors for this disorder include high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, smoking or family history.
However, according to a new study published in ESC Heart Failurea journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), people with at least one of these risk factors can significantly increase their risk of developing heart failure if they take aspirin. “Although these results require confirmation, they indicate that the potential link between aspirin and heart failure needs to be clarified”underlines the author of the study, Dr. Blerim Mujaj, of the University of Freiburg, Germany.
26% increased risk of heart failure
The study, called HOMAGE, involved 30,827 people at risk of developing heart failure, residing in Western Europe and the United States. All participants were aged 40 and over and did not have heart failure at baseline. Aspirin consumption was recorded at enrollment and participants were categorized as users or nonusers. Participants were followed for first incidence of fatal or non-fatal heart failure requiring hospitalization.
At the start of the study, 7,698 participants (25%) reported taking aspirin. During the 5.3 years of follow-up, 1,330 participants developed heart failure.
The researchers assessed the association between aspirin intake and the onset of heart failure after adjusting for different indices and risk factors and found that aspirin intake was independently associated with an increase of 26 % risk of heart failure diagnosis.
To check the consistency of the results, the researchers repeated the analysis after matching the heart failure risk factors of aspirin users and non-users. The results held true again, even after excluding patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. In 22,690 participants (74%) free of cardiovascular disease, taking aspirin was associated with a 27% increased risk of incident heart failure.
A drug to be prescribed with caution
“This is the first large study to examine the relationship between aspirin use and incident heart failure in people with or without heart disease and at least one risk factor.”, explains Dr. Mujaj, who recalls that aspirin is a commonly used drug. One in four study participants took it, which was associated with heart failure, independent of other risk factors.
“Large multinational randomized trials in adults at risk of heart failure are needed to verify these results. In the meantime, our findings suggest that aspirin should be prescribed with caution in people with heart failure or with risk factors risk for this condition”concludes the researcher.
