Does Aspirin Help or Worsen Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

The lack of highly effective medical interventions to prevent development or slow progression of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) has led to continued interest in simple anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin. Results of prior anti-inflammatory drug studies, mostly observational, are variable and show both benefits and potential harms, particularly in the hemorrhagic form of neovascular ARMD. In the well-known ASPREE trial, researchers evaluated the potential benefit of low-dose aspirin for preventing cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and other chronic disabilities (NEJM JW Gen Med Oct 15 2018 and N Engl J Med 2018; 379:1499, 1509, 1519). Now, researchers present data on 3200 ASPREE participants (median age, 74) who had been ran…