Daily low-dose aspirin is no longer desirable for healthy elderly who are seeking to prevent first-time cardiovascular disease as well as to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new guidelines released by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

The guidelines explain that aspirin may be instead recommended in cases where older high-risk patients are facing trouble lowering their cholesterol or managing their blood sugars, as long as there is no increased risk for internal bleeding.

"Clinicians should be very selective in prescribing aspirin for people without known cardiovascular disease. It's much more important to optimize lifestyle habits and control blood pressure and cholesterol as opposed to recommending aspirin," John Hopkins cardiologist Dr. Roger Blumenthal, who co-chaired the new guidelines, said in a statement.

"Aspirin should be limited to people at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease and a very low risk of bleeding," Blumenthal said.

Another research conducted by Harvard scientists found that the daily increases risk of skull bleeding when taken by people who do not already suffer from cardiovascular disease.