The American Heart Association recommends that people who are at high risk for heart attack take daily low-dose aspirin but only after talking with their health care providers. Aspirin's protective effect against heart disease and stroke is widely known, but aspirin use comes with risks as well as benefits. Your medical history, present health status and any medications you take all help determine if daily aspirin is right for you.
Aspirin and Heart Attack Risk
In addition to relieving pain and lowering fevers, aspirin decreases your blood's ability to clot. This side effect allows aspirin's use in helping prevent coronary heart disease, strokes and abnormal clot formation and as an emergency treatment for heart attack, according to MedlinePlus. Your risk of developing these conditions increases if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes; if you smoke cigarettes; if you don't exercise regularly; or if you have family members who have had heart attacks or strokes. If you have any of these risk factors or have already had a heart attack, you should discuss taking daily aspirin with your health care provider.
How Aspirin Works
Heart attacks occur when blood flow to an area of your heart is blocked, most commonly because of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques commonly form in the arteries supplying your heart muscle and consist of thickened areas of fat, cholesterol, calcium and inflammatory debris that gradually build up and obstruct blood flow. These plaques can also rupture, causing a blood clot to form that further blocks the blood flow. For this clot to form, your blood needs normally functioning platelets. Aspirin hampers this by turning off an enzyme in your platelets, making them less able to stick together and inhibiting clot formation.
Benefits of Daily Aspirin Use
The benefits of taking daily aspirin differ slightly between men and women. If you are a man, taking daily aspirin can reduce your risk of heart disease and help prevent a first or second heart attack. If you are a woman younger than age 65 years, daily aspirin reduces your risk of heart disease and can help prevent a second heart attack. For women older than 65 years, benefits include reducing your risk of heart disease and helping prevent both first and second heart attacks. The recommended dose of aspirin can vary depending on your individual situation, ranging from 75 mg, roughly the amount in a baby aspirin, to 325 mg, according to MayoClinic.com.
Risks of Daily Aspirin Use
Even at low doses, daily aspirin can carry significant risks, especially if you have other health problems. Complications of taking aspirin can include bleeding, allergic reactions or hearing problems such as tinnitus, especially if taken in excess. If you are pregnant, have poorly controlled high blood pressure, bleeding problems, asthma, stomach ulcers, liver or kidney disease, your risk of complications is even higher, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aspirin can also interact with multiple other medications, especially other blood thinners, as well as vitamin and herbal supplements, resulting in additional side effects. Be sure to discuss all the possible risks and benefits with your health care provider before starting on daily aspirin for your heart.
References
- American Heart Association: Aspirin and Heart Disease
- MedlinePlus; Aspirin and Heart Disease; September 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Daily Aspirin Therapy: Understand the Benefits and Risks; June 2010
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Aspirin for Reducing Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke: KNOW THE FACTS
