Aspirin may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to latest findings by a team based at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.
A study published in this month's Ophthalmology Journal found that 4 per cent of the 839 patients over 65 years of age taking aspirin regularly developed wet AMD. This compared with just 2 per cent of the 3,900 who did not use the drug.
A small dose of aspirin is taken on a regular basis by many patients as its anti-coagulant properties are thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.
Some health experts suggest that those who suffer from AMD should avoid taking aspirin.
The new findings prove a direct causative link between aspirin and wet AMD but the researchers said their findings should not deter patients from using aspirin, especially if they suffered from cardiovascular disease, because the benefits of aspirin outweighed the risks.