--- title: Taking Daily Aspirin May Be Risky for Healthy Older Adults: Study description: Taking a daily aspirin does not seem to offer health benefits to healthy older adults, and may come with some risks, three new studies say. canonical: https://time.com/5398089/aspirin-older-adults/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-17T19:32:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:27:20.860Z article:section: Health og:title: Taking Daily Aspirin May Be Risky for Healthy Older Adults: Study og:description: The risks seem to outweigh the benefits og:url: https://time.com/5398089/aspirin-older-adults/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2de9547367a24c69/6988c138656a3f7892bcf659/time-health-stock-pills-many.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5121 og:image:height: 2881 og:image:alt: time-health-stock og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Taking Daily Aspirin May Be Risky for Healthy Older Adults: Study twitter:description: The risks seem to outweigh the benefits twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2de9547367a24c69/6988c138656a3f7892bcf659/time-health-stock-pills-many.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Taking Daily Aspirin May Be Risky for Healthy Older Adults: Study > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=814a1eac-1f2f-45b8-9c53-7bac4a7df5c9&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=814a1eac-1f2f-45b8-9c53-7bac4a7df5c9&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=814a1eac-1f2f-45b8-9c53-7bac4a7df5c9&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=814a1eac-1f2f-45b8-9c53-7bac4a7df5c9&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Sep 17, 2018 7:32 PM UTC  Pile of pills Pile of pills Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Sep 17, 2018 7:32 PM UTC For years, taking a daily aspirin was believed to be one of the easiest ways to protect long-term health. But the [bottom line on aspirin](http://time.com/4586868/daily-aspirin-heart-attacks/) has recently gotten more complicated. Some research finds that aspirin can potentially reduce the risk of [heart attacks](http://time.com/4291338/aspirin-hearth-attack-prevention/) and [cancer](http://time.com/4728946/aspirin-cancer-nsaids/), and some suggests that aspirin’s possible side effects, such as bleeding and ulcers, [overshadow its advantages](http://time.com/89681/do-not-take-daily-aspirin-if-you-havent-had-a-heart-attack-says-fda/?iid=sr-link2) for many people. Now, a trio of new research articles are calling that classic health advice further into question. The research, published in the _New England Journal of Medicine_, suggests that taking a daily aspirin offers few appreciable health benefits for [healthy older adults](http://time.com/4817066/aspirin-stomach-bleeding-nsaids/) — and potentially comes with some real risks. Taking aspirin daily does not appear to prolong elderly adults’ [healthy lifespan](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800722) or [reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1805819), the data suggests. Further, the habit was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding and [mortality](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1803955), according to the research. More than 19,000 healthy Australian and American adults over 70 participated in the study. About half the group took a 100-milligram aspirin tablet each day, while the others took a [placebo pill](http://time.com/5375724/placebo-bill-health-problems/). The researchers then monitored the study participants for the development of disease, dementia, disability and death. Pharmaceutical company Bayer provided aspirin and placebos for the trial, but was not involved in study design or execution. Over an average of about five years of follow-up, the researchers found no significant difference in disability-free survival — that is, living without dementia or significant physical ailments — between the aspirin and [placebo](http://time.com/5392687/placebo-effect-pain/) groups. During the follow-up period, 921 aspirin-takers died, developed dementia or became disabled, compared to 914 people in the placebo group. That result convinced the National Institute on Aging, which funded the study, to end the experiment early, because “it was extremely unlikely that continuation of the trial intervention would reveal a benefit with regard to \[disability-free survival.\]” Years of evidence have found that aspirin can [help prevent cardiac issues](http://time.com/4956284/aspirin-study-heart-disease-stroke/) among people who have already had heart attacks or strokes, potentially by preventing blood clots and reducing inflammation. But the researchers found a more complicated picture for the healthy older adults involved in the study. The aspirin- and placebo-takers had approximately equal rates of cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks, strokes and heart failure, though the researchers noted that the overall rate of heart issues was lower than expected. Meanwhile, compared to those in the placebo group, adults taking aspirin had a higher risk of major bleeding, a common side effect of the drug. Those results suggest that for adults who have never had a major heart issue and are not highly likely to have one, the risks of taking daily aspirin may outweigh the benefits, whereas the opposite may be true for people with a history of heart problems. Finally, the researchers observed a higher death rate among the aspirin-takers (558 fatalities) versus the placebo-takers (494). Most excess deaths were related to cancer, which was surprising, since prior research suggests that [aspirin can help prevent some cancers](http://time.com/4246640/aspirin-colorectal-cancer/). The researchers warn that the data should be “interpreted with caution” and does not necessarily mean that aspirin causes cancer; further, the study’s relatively brief follow-up period was likely too short to capture any cancer-prevention benefits of the drug, they say. The researchers caution that their study “did not directly address the question of whether healthy older persons who have been using aspirin for primary prevention should continue or discontinue its use.” Individuals should discuss their unique risks and benefits with a doctor. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5398089/aspirin-older-adults/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5398089/aspirin-older-adults/"},"headline":"Taking Daily Aspirin May Be Risky for Healthy Older Adults: Study","datePublished":"2018-09-17T19:32:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:27:20.860Z","description":"The risks seem to outweigh the benefits","url":"https://time.com/5398089/aspirin-older-adults/","keywords":["Innovation Health"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2de9547367a24c69/6988c138656a3f7892bcf659/time-health-stock-pills-many.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2de9547367a24c69/6988c138656a3f7892bcf659/time-health-stock-pills-many.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"time-health-stock","caption":"TIME health stock Pile of pills","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/innovation-health/","name":"Innovation Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5398089/aspirin-older-adults/","name":"Taking Daily Aspirin May Be Risky for Healthy Older Adults: Study"}}]}] ```