If you get headaches, muscle aches or have arthritis, then you probably know that aspirin can be your best friend when pain hits. If you are at risk for a stroke or heart attack, your doctor may also prescribe this medication as a useful blood thinner. Here is some important information about aspirin, heart health and how to safely take this medication.

How Does Aspirin Help Your Heart?

Most strokes and heart attacks occur when deposits like cholesterol, calcium and cell waste start to build up in your arteries. This is called plaque. Plaque can be dangerous because it can rupture and break apart resulting in blood clots. Clots are when blood platelets clump together. When these blood clots enter the heart, it can cause a heart attack. When a blood clot enters the brain, it often causes a stroke. Aspirin prevents these platelets from clumping together to help stop blood clots from doing harm in the body.

One study showed that patients who took a low dose of aspirin daily reduced their risk for having a second stroke or heart attack by 20% when compared to those who didn’t take aspirin regularly. A low dose is equivalent to a baby aspirin or 81 mg (as opposed to an adult dose which has 325 mg in one regular-strength tablet).

Who Should Start an Aspirin Regimen?

There are several circumstances in which your doctor may recommend that you be put on a daily dosage of aspirin such as:

• if you’ve previously experienced a heart attack or stroke.
• if you’ve had a stent placed in a coronary artery, if you’ve had coronary bypass surgery, or if you’ve chest pain due to coronary artery disease (angina) even though you haven’t had a heart attack.
• if your doctor suspects that you are at high risk for having a heart attack or stroke.
• if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes and have at least one other heart disease risk factor (such as if you smoke or have high blood pressure) and you're a male over the age of 50 or a female older than 60.

The Risks of Taking Aspirin Regularly

While there are great benefits to taking aspirin, there are also risks that are associated with it that could cause serious complications. Here are some dangers that you should be aware of:

• If you need to undergo a surgical procedure, aspirin could cause severe bleeding.
• Some people have allergies to aspirin which can cause asthma-like symptoms.
• Long term use of aspirin can result in gastrointestinal bleeding - even with low doses of the drug - and can be life-threatening.
• If aspirin is taken with other prescription and OTC (over-the-counter) medications, you could have problematic drug interactions. Heparin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), corticosteroids (such as prednisone), clopidogrel (Plavix) and certain antidepressants (like clomipramine and paroxetine) are all blood thinners, too. Even supplements like bilberry, capsaicin, cat's claw, ginkgo and omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) can make you more prone to bleeding. Tell your doctor what OTC drugs and supplements you are taking so that you don’t have problems down the road.

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Sources

“Aspirin and Heart Disease”. American Heart Association. Accessed January 8, 2018. https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/PreventionTreatmentofHeartAttack/Aspirin-and-Heart-Disease_UCM_321714_Article.jsp

“Daily aspirin therapy: Understand the benefits and risks”. Mayo Clinic. Accessed January 8, 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/daily-aspirin-therapy/ART-20046797

“Should You Take an Aspirin a Day for Your Heart?”. Men’s Health. Accessed January 8, 2018. https://www.menshealth.com/health/aspirin-for-heart-health

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