Aspirin Linked to Macular Degeneration in New Study

Aspirin may have more side effects than we first thought. A new study published in the online journal JAMA Internal Medicine shows that there may be a correlation between the habitual use of aspirin and macular degeneration, an eye disease which destroys sharp, central vision.

Jie Jin Wang and her colleagues collected data on more than 2,300 patients. The researchers defined regular aspirin use as once or more a week, and gave the participants four eye exams over the course of 15 years. They found that almost 11 percent of the patients used aspirin regularly and after 15 years, about 25 percent of those users developed neovascular age-related macular degeneration. While the cumulative rate of this disease was nine percent among aspirin users, it was less than four percent among the non-aspirin users.

Aspirin is among the most effective cardiovascular disease preventatives, and many people take the drug on a regular basis in order to prevent heart attacks. However, regular use of aspirin over the long term has been associated with adverse side effects.

Those who use aspirin, though, shouldn't suddenly stop taking it. According to HealthDay, Wang admitted that "Currently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend changing clinical practice, except perhaps in cases of patients with strong risk factors for age-related macular degeneration, such as existing age-related macular degeneration in one eye."

The health benefits of aspirin could certainly outweigh the risks of macular degeneration, and experts suggest that more research should be conducted on the relationship between macular degeneration and aspirin. However, patients who take aspirin for pain regularly may want to consider switching to another painkiller.