A secondary analysis of a randomized trial of 18,581 adults aged 65 and over found that daily 100 mg aspirin did not prevent functional decline over five years. Women taking aspirin showed a small extra decline, while men showed no effect.
Source: Human randomized trial, 18,581 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older, males and females. People were assigned at random to take it or not: the strongest single kind of study for showing cause and effect.
What was found
The researchers report that daily low-dose aspirin did not prevent decline in intrinsic capacity, a measure of overall functional performance. Women randomized to aspirin had a small but statistically significant faster decline than women on placebo. The estimate was β of -0.006 (95% CI -0.01 to -0.001, p = 0.01).
No effect was seen in men (p = 0.86). The test for a difference between the sexes was not statistically significant (three-way sex by treatment by time interaction, p = 0.06).
Women had lower intrinsic capacity at the start and a steeper decline over time than men. Lower baseline scores were linked to shorter survival free of dementia and disability. The hazard ratio for the lowest versus highest fifth of scores was 4.62 in women and 4.32 in men.
How it was done
This is a post-hoc analysis of a randomized trial that compared 100 mg of aspirin daily with placebo. The original trial looked at dementia- and disability-free survival in people aged 65 and over.
The team built a four-domain intrinsic capacity score covering cognition, locomotion, vitality and psychological well-being. It was calculated every year. They checked it against age, a deficit-accumulation index and epigenetic clocks such as PC-PhenoAge, PC-GrimAge and DunedinPACE. The links were stronger in women. Linear mixed models compared the score over five years between aspirin and placebo.
What it does not show
This was a secondary analysis, not the trial's main question, so its findings are less firm than a trial's primary result. The authors call the extra decline in women unexpected and small. The difference between the sexes was not statistically significant. The results apply to 100 mg of aspirin daily in adults aged 65 and over, and not to other doses or age groups.
Where this fits
This result applies to adults aged 65 and over taking 100 mg of aspirin daily, mostly studied as a medicine rather than a supplement. It is one secondary analysis, and its sex-based finding was small and not firmly different between men and women. Readers can check the dose on any aspirin product they use and see how it interacts with their other medicines.
Read more: Supplement and medication interactions
Who was talking about it
- GeroScience on journal (2026-10-29): GeroScience published a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial showing that low-dose aspirin did not prevent functional decline and was associated with a small additional decline in intrinsic capacity in older females, highlighting the need to consider sex-specific responses to therapies. See the post
The source
This is news, reported from the source above. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you change any medicine or supplement.