Aspirin, Brain Bleeding and Memory Loss

I’ve written before about how bleeding in the brain is more common than previously thought, especially for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  Bleeding in the brain (which can be detected by a type of MRI) may be a sign of the cerebral amyloid angiopathy my father had, and is linked to memory loss. 

A new study suggests that if you’ve already had bleeding in your brain, aspirin may increase the risk of further bleeding.  This adds to the evidence that you should check with your doctor before taking aspirin on an ongoing basis.

Comments

[Pat]

What are the amounts of aspirin that are associated with this condition? My husband, age 70, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease about 1 1/2 years ago. He has taken 2 Excedrin tablets daily for at least 30 years for headaches that he claims to have every day when he wakes up, or soon thereafter. He hasn't had an MRI to look for brain bleeds but has a family history of cerebral hemorrhage--his father, grandmother and niece (who died at age 38 as a result). I will look forward to hearing from anyone with more information.

[Mona Johnson]

Pat, I'm sorry to hear about your husband and his family.

I will check to see if the study authors can give us any information on the amount of aspirin involved.