The scientists monitored blood levels of aspirin and its active ingredient, salicylate, at frequent intervals, and they also measured thromboxane B2 TxB2 , an indicator of platelet activation that drops as platelets are inhibited.
By all three measurements, chewed aspirin worked fastest. Similarly, it took 14 minutes for the chewed tablet to produce maximal platelet inhibition; it took Alka-Seltzer 16 minutes and the swallowed tablet 26 minutes. Aspirin can help prevent heart attacks in people with coronary artery disease and in those who have a higher than average risk. Only low dose, usually just 1 a day, is needed. But people who think they may be having an attack need an extra mg of aspirin, and they need it as quickly as possible.
For the best results, chew a single full-sized mg tablet, but don't use an enteric-coated tablet, which will act slowly even if chewed. And don't forget to call , then your doctor. It's a contemporary update on the old reminder to take two aspirin and call in the morning — and it's good advice to chew over. Heart failure is manageable. To learn the mechanics of the heart, the symptoms and warning signs of heart failure, and, most of all, the keys to an effective treatment plan, buy the Harvard Special Health Report Heart Failure: Understanding the condition and optimizing treatment.
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.
But aspirin can also cause serious bleeding. And it is not clear that aspirin can help prevent a stroke if you have not already had a heart attack or stroke in the past. You and your doctor can decide if aspirin is a good choice for you based on your risk of a heart attack and your risk of serious bleeding.
People who have certain health problems shouldn't take aspirin. These include people who:. If you think you are having a stroke, do not take aspirin because not all strokes are caused by clots. Aspirin could make some strokes worse.
Gout can become worse or hard to treat for some people who take aspirin. If you take some other blood thinner , talk with your doctor before taking aspirin, because taking both medicines can cause bleeding problems. Drinking 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day while taking daily aspirin increases your risk for liver damage and stomach bleeding. If your doctor recommends aspirin, limit or stop alcohol usage. Before having a surgery or procedure that may cause bleeding, tell your doctor or dentist that you take aspirin.
Aspirin may cause you to bleed more than usual. He or she will tell you if you should stop taking aspirin before your surgery or procedure. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. Do not suddenly stop taking aspirin without talking to your doctor first.
Talking to your cardiologist first is especially important if you have had a stent placed in a coronary artery. Tell your doctor if you notice that you bruise easily or have other signs of bleeding.
These include bloody or black stools or prolonged bleeding from cuts or scrapes. Aspirin should not be taken with many prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and natural health products. So before you start aspirin therapy, talk to your doctor about all the drugs and other remedies you take. Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen and naproxen, relieve pain and inflammation much like aspirin does, they do not affect blood clotting in the same way that aspirin does.
NSAIDs may increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Ask your doctor what pain reliever you should take. You may be able to use another type of pain reliever, such as acetaminophen, to treat your pain. If you take these pills at the same time, aspirin might not work as well to prevent a heart attack or stroke. Do not take the NSAID pill during either the 8 hours before or the 30 minutes after you take aspirin. Here's an example: Take your aspirin. Wait 30 minutes.
Your doctor will recommend a dose of aspirin and how often to take it. In this article, learn about the signs and symptoms of each type. We also explore their causes and who….
Can aspirin help prevent and treat heart attacks? How it works During a heart attack Additional benefits Risks Who can take it? Other preventive steps Summary Aspirin is a pain reliever that can thin the blood. How does aspirin prevent heart attacks? Taking aspirin during a heart attack. Aspirin as a preventive measure.
Are there other benefits to taking aspirin? What are the side effects and complications? Who can take aspirin daily? Other ways to prevent heart attacks. Heart Disease Preventive Medicine. Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes.
Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Related Coverage. What are the signs of heart attack in a woman? Medically reviewed by Gerhard Whitworth, RN. Everything you need to know about heart disease. Medically reviewed by Dr. Chien-Wen Tseng, a professor of family medicine at the John H. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. According to the new recommendations, the benefit of daily low-dose aspirin is small for most people ages 40 to 59, while the risk of bleeding problems is higher.
Previous stomach ulcers, taking other anticoagulants and having a clotting disorder raise the risk of bleeding problems. Instead, they should talk to their doctors about other prevention strategies.
Michos said the widely known recommendations that endorsed daily aspirin use for decades were based on research conducted before other prevention approaches were available.
Screening for diabetes , pre-diabetes and hypertension, as well as using statins to manage cholesterol, may be lower-risk options that can prevent cardiovascular disease in some people.
0コメント