Following a request from Bayer for the company to be allowed to alter the label on its aspirin bottles, the FDA created a stir by recommending against the use of aspirin for heart disease prevention in every case.

To be clear, the FDA is not denouncing all use of aspirin in heart disease management. Bayer wanted to add a statement to their labels that said that aspirin prevented the first heart attack and the FDA says there simply is not data to support this claim. Instead, the FDA warns that risks like ulcers and bleeding in the digestive tract or brain were too significant to warrant this early use of aspirin, even in people with significant risk for heart disease.

The same does not apply to those who have already suffered a heart attack. Once that has occurred, health officials across all organizations agree that an aspirin regimen is far more beneficial than risky.

Other associations advise differently regarding early prevention. Both the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association recommend that people, especially those over the age of 50-60, should take daily low doses of aspirin if two or more significant risks are present, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Factors such as already existing ulcers can make this practice too risky to be beneficial, but many organizations feel that the primary care physician should be able to determine whether or not aspirin will help individual patients.

Basically, putting a label on aspirin that claims to prevent the development of heart disease puts many at risk who would not realize the potential for side effects in over-the-counter medication. The announcement by the FDA regarding the restriction of aspirin regimens is an assertion that each individual needs a specialized treatment plan that is developed under the supervision of a trained medical professional and addresses their specific needs safely.