Some doctors recommend a daily low dose of aspirin (75mg to 81mg acetylsalicylic acid) for those who have a history of heart disease or hypertension. A study by Lennart Hansson, M.D., and others reported in the June 1998 edition of the British medical journal Lancet found a 36 percent reduction in heart attacks for those with high blood pressure who took a daily low dose of aspirin compared to those who didn't. But a November 2009 report on the Arthritis Today website stated low-dose aspirin won't necessarily prevent a first heart attack or stroke.
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
About the same percentage of those who benefit from taking low-dose aspirin also may experience gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. On the Arthritis Today website, Ike Iheanacho, M.D., editor of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, reported on an analysis of six studies involving 95,000 patients with inflammatory arthritis, a condition that may double your chance of heart attack. Those who took a daily low dose of aspirin prevented a heart attack at the rate of 1 in 2,000, but gastrointestinal bleeding was induced in 1 in 3,300 after a year of treatment.
Intracranial Bleeding
The risk of intracranial bleeding may be increased for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who take a low dose of aspirin. The Athritis Today website quotes Jon Giles, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center as saying RA patients often take nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or prednisone. When coupled with aspirin therapy, the increased bleeding risk is enough to negate any possible cardiovascular disease benefit.
Rebound Effect
A rebound effect can increase your risk of heart attack when low-dose aspirin therapy is stopped. Mayo Clinic staff say stopping low-dose aspirin therapy can increase blood clotting and the possibility of having a heart attack.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
A daily low dose of aspirin may heighten the risk of a bleeding stroke, also called a hemorrhagic stroke. Mayo Clinic staff say the same daily aspirin that could decrease the possibility of having a clot-related stroke could bring on a bleeding stroke. Because of that risk, you should discuss any aspirin therapy with your doctor before beginning aspirin therapy.
Tinnitus
Taking too much aspirin can cause a ringing in your ears called tinnitus. It can also cause a loss of hearing. The Mayo Clinic website warns that overdosing on aspirin may reduce hearing ability or cause tinnitus in some patients.
