--- description: If you've never had a heart attack, the FDA says you can put down the aspirin bottle title: FDA: Do Not Take Daily Aspirin if You Have Not Had a Heart Attack image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8e33cd2c73b67a6/69868e25cd6848775309482a/a0001-000015-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Do Not Take Daily Aspirin if You Haven't Had a Heart Attack, Says FDA by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 6, 2014 7:21 PM CUT  Aspirin Tablets Aspirin TabletsBlue Line Pictures—Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 6, 2014 7:21 PM CUT Taking a daily aspirin is not necessary for people with no history of heart problems, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [says](http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm390539.htm "undefined"). In a newly released [consumer update](http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm390539.htm "undefined") bound to cause a stir for the 40 million Americans who take aspirin every day, the FDA says it has combed the evidence and concluded that people who have not had heart problems, even if they have a family history of it, will not benefit from taking a daily aspirin. The announcement comes after the FDA [denied](http://www.newsday.com/news/health/fda-rejects-labeling-aspirin-as-heart-attack-prevention-1.7929168 "undefined") Bayer’s request to change its aspirin labels to say aspirin can aid in the prevention of heart attacks in people without a history of heart disease. On its website, the FDA has written, “FDA has concluded that the data do not support the use of aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, a use that is called ‘primary prevention.’ In such people, the benefit has not been established but risks — such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach — are still present.” Dr. Robert Temple, deputy director for clinical science at the FDA, said in the recommendation that since the 1990s there has been clinical data showing that people who have undergone a heart attack, stroke or any blood vessel disease in the heart can benefit from taking a daily low dose of aspirin and can lower the risk of having another adverse heart event. This is what the FDA refers to as “secondary prevention.” Currently, large-scale clinical studies are ongoing to look at the risks and benefits of primary prevention with daily aspirin, and the FDA is monitoring those studies. The FDA says the bottom line is that people who have undergone a heart attack or have other heart-related problems can consider taking a daily aspirin, but everyone should consult with their physician over what’s the best option for them. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/89681/do-not-take-daily-aspirin-if-you-havent-had-a-heart-attack-says-fda/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/89681/do-not-take-daily-aspirin-if-you-havent-had-a-heart-attack-says-fda/"},"headline":"Do Not Take Daily Aspirin if You Haven't Had a Heart Attack, Says FDA","datePublished":"2014-05-06T19:21:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:41:06.163Z","description":"If you've never had a heart attack, the FDA says you can put down the aspirin bottle","url":"https://time.com/89681/do-not-take-daily-aspirin-if-you-havent-had-a-heart-attack-says-fda/","keywords":["FDA","heart attack","aspirin"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8e33cd2c73b67a6/69868e25cd6848775309482a/a0001-000015-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8e33cd2c73b67a6/69868e25cd6848775309482a/a0001-000015-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"a0001-000015","caption":"a0001-000015","creditText":"Blue Line Pictures—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":"https://time.com/89681/do-not-take-daily-aspirin-if-you-havent-had-a-heart-attack-says-fda/","name":"Do Not Take Daily Aspirin if You Haven't Had a Heart Attack, Says FDA"}}]}] ```