N.H.S Changes Advice on Asprin

Here we go again. This morning's BBC Breakfast reported that the  N.H.S. has changed it's advice on the use of aspirin for those with a risk of having a heart attack. I have been taking soluble aspirin as part of my medication routine since I had my heart attack in May 2006 so the news was of great interest to me. The Daily Telegraph reported it as follows:

'More than a million people with a common heart condition have been told not to take aspirin to guard against stroke, in a reversal of previous N.H.S. advice.'

'New medical recommendations warn that the pills are ineffective in reducing the danger for those suffering heart rhythm disorders and that the risk of side-effects outweigh the benefits.'

'Up to 7, 000 strokes and 2,000 premature deaths a year could be prevented if patients were put on new drugs instead, experts said.'

'Until now, adults suffering from arterial fibrillation have been advised to take a daily dose of aspirin- a blood-thinning drug- as the heart condition often causes clots, leading to a risk of stroke that is five times higher in other people.'

But revised guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care  Excellence (NICE) says a new generation of drugs is far better than aspirin at reducing the danger for such patients and is less likely to cause side-effects including internal bleeding.'

'Patients are advised to seek medical advice from their GP before stopping their current medication, but the guidance recommends that anticoagulant drugs which prevent clots should be prescribed instead.'

I will not be stopping my use of aspirin until I've spoken to my doctor as I don't obviously want to risk having a blood clot again which could cause another heart attack. All this chopping and changing over the use of various medications such as aspirin and statins which I take to prevent another heart attack is just a little bit confusing and annoying, to say the least.