By David Liu, PHD

Saturday Oct 6, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study published in Journal of American Medical Association suggests that taking aspirin for whatever purpose may increase risk of major gastrointestinal and intraacranial bleeding episodes.

G. De Berardis G at Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Epidemiology of Consorzio Mario Negri Sud in S. Maria Imbaro, Italy and colleagues conducted the study found patients using aspirin were 55 percent more likely to suffer hemorrhagic events, compared with those who did not the drug.

The population-based cohort study was based on administrative data from 4.1 million citizens in 12 local health authorities in Puglia, Italy.  Men and women given low-dose aspirin (≤300 mg) were identified from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2008, and were compared with individuals who did not take aspirin during the period.

During a median follow-up of 5.7 years, 186,425 men and women were treated with low-dose aspirin and the overall incidence rate of bleeding episodes was 5.58  per 1000 person-years among aspirin users, compared to 3.6 per 1000 person-years for those who did not take aspirin. The increase in the risk of bleeding among aspirin users was 55 percent.

The association was not found among individuals with diabetes although use of aspirin was found correlated with a greater risk of major bleeding episodes in most of the subgroups studied.

Diabetes mellitus patients were found at 35 percent increased risk of major bleeding episodes, regardless of whether they took aspirin or not.

The researchers concluded "In a population-based cohort, aspirin use was significantly associated with an increased risk of major gastrointestinal or cerebral bleeding episodes. Patients with diabetes had a high rate of bleeding that was not independently associated with aspirin use."

Gastrointestinal bleeding has been associated with as many as 3 percent of treated elderly people who use aspirin.  The drug is also linked to consumption and appendicitis.

In addition to gastrointestinal bleeding, side effects of aspirin also include epigastric distress, stomach discomfort or pain, endoscopically identifiable gastric mucosal lesions, nausea, vomiting, peptic ulcers, perforation, small bowel enteropathy, and esophageal ulcerations.