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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2009;301(19):1977.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Older adults who take aspirin or other drugs that inhibit platelet function have an increased risk of experiencing asymptomatic cerebral microbleeds, a marker of small-vessel disease in the brain, according to findings by researchers in the Netherlands (Vernooij MW et al. Arch Neurol. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2009 .42 [published online April 13, 2009]).

The researchers conducted magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of a population-based sample of 1062 dementia-free individuals aged 60 years or older. Participants' use of anticlotting drugs, including platelet aggregation inhibitors (specifically, aspirin and carbasalate calcium, a salicylate with a lower risk of gastrointestinal tract bleeding than aspirin), was determined from pharmacy records.

Participants who used aspirin or carbasalate calcium were more likely than those who did not use anticlotting drugs to have cerebral microbleeds. This effect was strongest among those taking aspirin at higher "cardiac dosages" (80 mg), raising questions about whether persons with cerebral . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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