Prevention check
Should I take a daily aspirin to prevent heart disease?
Low-dose aspirin can lower the chance of a first heart attack or stroke, but it also raises the risk of bleeding. The US Preventive Services Task Force changed its advice in 2022. Check where you fall.
About you
Nothing you enter leaves this page.
The ASCVD (Pooled Cohort Equations) estimate from your doctor. Not the PREVENT number from our heart calculator; see below why.
What you will see
Which part of the USPSTF aspirin recommendation fits you, and what it means.
Educational only, not medical advice. Starting or stopping aspirin is a decision with your doctor.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, April 2022 recommendation on aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Validated in
Adults 40 and older without cardiovascular disease and not at increased risk of bleeding.
Limits
It does not calculate your 10-year risk or your bleeding risk; you enter the estimate your doctor gives you. It does not apply to people who already have heart disease or have had a stroke.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 59, 10-year risk 10% or more | Starting low-dose aspirin is an individual decision; the net benefit is small | C |
| 60 and older | Do not start low-dose aspirin for prevention | D |
In the 40 to 59 group, people who are not at increased risk of bleeding and are willing to take low-dose aspirin every day are more likely to benefit (USPSTF 2022). Compared with its earlier advice, the USPSTF now starts the age range at 40 instead of 50, asks for an individual decision rather than routine use, and recommends against starting at 60 or older (USPSTF 2022).
Why bleeding matters
Aspirin raises the risk of bleeding in the stomach and gut, bleeding in the brain and hemorrhagic stroke. The harm is small overall but grows with age, especially after 60 (USPSTF 2022). Other risk factors for bleeding include male sex, diabetes, a history of stomach problems such as peptic ulcer, liver disease, smoking and high blood pressure. Medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids and anticoagulants also raise the risk (USPSTF 2022). The recommendation only applies to people who are not at increased risk of bleeding (USPSTF 2022).
Dose and when to stop
The benefit for prevention looks similar at a low dose (100 mg a day or less) as at the higher doses studied. The USPSTF calls 81 mg a day, the most common dose in the US, a pragmatic choice (USPSTF 2022). For people who start, the benefit shrinks with age, and the USPSTF says doctors and patients should consider stopping around 75 (USPSTF 2022).
Which 10-year risk number to use
The USPSTF says the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations may be used to estimate 10-year risk (USPSTF 2022). Those are the "ASCVD risk calculator" equations from 2013 (Goff 2013). Our heart risk calculator uses the newer AHA PREVENT equations (Khan 2024), which usually give a lower number for the same person (Anderson 2024), so its result does not fit the 10% cutoff here. PREVENT vs ASCVD explains the difference.
Common questions
I am over 60 and already take a baby aspirin. Should I stop?
The grade D advice is about starting aspirin (USPSTF 2022). If you already take it, talk to your doctor before you change anything.
Does this apply after a heart attack or stroke?
No. The recommendation is for adults without known cardiovascular disease or its signs or symptoms (USPSTF 2022).
Pregnant? Aspirin to prevent preeclampsia follows different advice: see the preeclampsia risk check.
Also see the statin eligibility check, the blood pressure ranges and the stroke risk check.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;327(16):1577. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/aspirin-to-prevent-cardiovascular-disease-preventive-medication
- Goff DC Jr, Lloyd-Jones DM, Bennett G, et al. 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S49-S73. doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.0000437741.48606.98
- Khan SS, Matsushita K, Sang Y, et al. Development and Validation of the American Heart Association's PREVENT Equations. Circulation. 2024;149(6):430-449. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.067626
- Anderson TS, Wilson LM, Sussman JB. Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Estimates Using the Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events Equations. JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(8):963-970. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1302
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.