Trump defends long-term aspirin use

Washington: US President Donald Trump has acknowledged taking more aspirin than doctors recommend but said he prefers to continue the routine he has followed for years for what his physician describes as cardiac prevention.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he takes a high daily dose of aspirin and is unwilling to lower it, despite being advised by doctors to do so. He said the medication has been part of his daily routine for more than two decades.

“The large dose of aspirin he chooses to take daily has caused him to bruise easily,” the Journal reported, citing Trump’s own remarks. His doctors have encouraged him to switch to a lower dose, but Trump said he has declined. “I’m a little superstitious,” he told the newspaper.

Trump said he believes aspirin helps thin the blood and reduce strain on the heart. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” he said. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”

According to Trump’s physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, the president, uses aspirin for “cardiac prevention.” Barbabella said Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day. A low-dose aspirin is most commonly 81 milligrams, according to the Mayo Clinic, a comparison cited in the Journal report.

“They’d rather have me take the smaller one,” Trump said. “I take the larger one, but I’ve done it for years, and what it does do is it causes bruising.”

The issue of aspirin use has drawn attention amid wider public discussion of Trump’s health. He told the Journal that he regretted undergoing advanced medical imaging last year, saying it fueled speculation. “In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” he said.

Barbabella confirmed in a statement to the Journal that Trump underwent a CT scan, not an MRI, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The scan was done “to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues” and showed no abnormalities, he said. The White House declined to make the doctor available for an interview.

The Journal also reported that Trump briefly tried wearing compression socks to address swelling in his lower legs but stopped because he disliked them. “I didn’t like them,” Trump said during the interview.

Barbabella said Trump is in “exceptional health and perfectly suited to execute his duties as Commander in Chief.” White House aides have said the president maintains a vigorous schedule.

Aspirin has long been used in the United States for heart-related prevention.

Trump, now 79, has repeatedly credited his health to what he calls his “very good genetics.”

IANS