Patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases are usually treated with a cost-effective solution; aspirin. A study has revealed that many patients are forced to discontinue taking this otherwise effective medication because a reaction to the drug is often diagnosed as an allergy.

In the study conducted by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), an estimated 34 per cent of the patients under study were misdiagnosed with having allergic reactions while taking aspirin if they have a history with gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Furthermore, none of the patients diagnosed with hypersensitivity sought expert advice from an allergist to determine whether the allergy was true or not, according to Gabriela Orgeron, lead author of the study. "In addition, we found that patients with GI symptoms were mislabeled as having aspirin allergy, which likely deprived them of being treated with aspirin in the future," she said.

Analyzing over 5,000 medical records, the team determined those among the patients that were correctly identified with allergy and those who were just experiencing hypersensitivity. (To be clear, the body's exaggerated reaction to aspirin is hypersensitivity, and it is not similar to being diagnosed with allergy.)

Of the 5,052 patients, Orgeron and her team found out that out of the 34 percent who were misdiagnosed with hypersensitivity due to their history of gastrointestinal symptoms, only 2.5 percent (131 patients) had aspirin hypersensitivity and 19 percent complained of skin reactions. Furthermore, only one patient suffered an anaphylactic attack and another had respiratory manifestations.

Following these results, ACAAI fellow Dr Sudhir Sekhsaria advised that: "It's very important that, similar to penicillin, anyone thought to have an aspirin allergy be referred to an allergist for testing..."

"In cases such as those shown in the study, patients are frequently told to discontinue aspirin therapy or are switched to another medication when there is no reason to do so. Allergists can help identify true allergies, and if they are present, help patients find the right course of therapy. If there is not a true allergy, they can help explore how to manage symptoms."

Tagsaspirin, aspirin allergy, aspirin hypersensitivity, anaphylaxis, aspirin as heart meds, allergist