Aspirin and Heart Disease

Why is aspirin important?

Aspirin may reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Low-dose aspirin therapy reduces the risk of stroke for women. But it only helps to lower rates of heart attack and other cardiac problems in women 65 and older. For men, aspirin has been found to lower the risk of a first-time heart attack but has little effect on the risk of stroke.

How does aspirin work?

Aspirin affects the way your blood clots. When an artery is narrowed by heart disease, a blood clot can block the artery and cause a heart attack. When you take aspirin, blood is less likely to clot and block a narrowed artery. Aspirin may also be used during a heart attack, while you are recovering from a heart attack, or after heart surgery.

Should everyone take aspirin?

Not everyone should take aspirin regularly. Daily use of aspirin can cause symptoms such as stomach irritation, internal bleeding, and hearing loss. Do not take aspirin unless you first talk with your health care provider. This is especially important if you have:

• high blood pressure
• a history of stroke in your family
• a bleeding disorder
• stomach or intestinal ulcers
• liver or kidney problems.

Aspirin can cause you to bleed more than normal. Before you have surgery or dental work, tell your health care provider or dentist that you are taking aspirin. The tendency to bleed lasts for up to 10 days after you stop taking aspirin.

Aspirin interacts with many other medicines. Check with your health care provider if you are taking other painkillers, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Also tell your provider if you are taking any nonprescription products, to avoid the risk of overdose.

Drinking alcohol while you are taking this medicine increases the risk of severe stomach irritation. Ask your health care provider if you should avoid alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

When should I take aspirin?

Talk with your health care provider about how much aspirin you should take each day to prevent heart attack or stroke. It is usually a much smaller amount than what you would take to relieve pain.

If you think you might be having a heart attack, call 911. You may take an aspirin after you call 911, unless:

• You are allergic to aspirin.
• Your health care provider has told you not to take aspirin because you have a health problem that makes using it too risky.

Do not take aspirin if you have symptoms such as:

• severe headache with no known cause
• weakness, numbness, or tingling in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination
• inability to speak or difficulty speaking or understanding
• trouble seeing with one or both eyes, or double vision.

These may be symptoms of a stroke. Aspirin may make some types of stroke worse.

When should I call my health care provider?

If you are taking aspirin and you have these side effects, contact your health care provider right away:

• severe diarrhea
• blood in your urine
• black stools
• nausea or vomiting
• trouble breathing
• vision problems
• severe stomach pain
• ringing in your ears.

If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 right away.