An Aspirin a Day Keeps the Heart Attacks Away?

Aspirin is a mild painkiller, we all know that, but it's also a blood thinner. Many patients who've had a heart attack or stroke are instructed to take around 81 milligrams per day, to help prevent blood clots and future heart attacks and strokes.

Most anti-coagulant medications serve two purposes, one to prevent blood from clotting, and the second to dilate blood vessels. Aspirin fits the bill for most purposes and can cost a fraction of other prescribed medications. This is not to say that you can or should take cardiac care into your own hands, but be aware that your doctor may suggest aspirin therapy. Even though you may be spending hundreds of dollars on your current heart meds, you mustn't forget to take the cheap aspirin if you're instructed to do so. This is because aspirin, while common and inexpensive, has been proven to help prevent clotting which may lead to heart attack and stroke, in addition to bolstering your odds of surviving a heart attack if ingested within the first couple of hours of suffering one.

Current studies have shown that the use of aspirin in preventative heart care has reached an all time high, and multiple studies prove that taking 81 mg of aspirin a day reduces the chance of heart attack or stroke by a staggering 25%. Most people can find the 81 mg dose of aspirin in children's aspirin and the old stand-by, St. Joseph.

Physicians suggest aspirin therapy as heart-health prevention and care if you suffer from any of the following symptoms or conditions:

• If you've had a heart attack.
• If you are at a high risk for heart disease.
• If you've have coronary artery bypass or angioplasty.
• Suffer from angina, commonly known as chest pain.
• If you have diabetes.
• If you've had a stroke or mini-stroke caused by blood clots.

Aspirin is known in scientific circles as acetyl salicylic acid, which belongs to a class of drug known as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. These types of drugs are more commonly known as NSAID's. Many common forms of these are found on pharmacy shelves, such as Ibuprofen type medications like Advil and Motrin, while others like naproxen, or more commonly Aleve, treat symptoms of fever, pain and pain caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. Taking such a drug also helps thin the blood and prevents clotting inside arteries.

Clotting can be a good thing, especially if you're bleeding. However, clotting, or excess clotting in already thinned blood vessels caused by blocked arteries, can lead to strokes or heart attacks, because adequate amounts of blood can't reach their targets, which are major body organs right on down to the capillary on the tip of your finger. To keep it simple, one of the ingredients in blood that produces clots are called platelets. These little guys are sticky and easily form clumps, or clots.

A substance called thromboxane A-2 is produced by blood platelets to aid in the clumping process. Aspirin, among other anti-coagulating medications, prevents the formation of thromboxane A-2. If you want to get really technical, aspirin does this by also preventing the platelets from creating an enzyme called cyclo-oxygenase-1, or COX-1, which is a vital component of thromboxane A-2.

Keep in mind however, that aspirin only helps other medications to carry on this process indefinitely, and other anti-coagulant drugs and medications must be taken to provide effective prevention of a subsequent heart attack or stroke. Aspirin, when taken in low doses, such a 81 mg a day, helps to provide maximum effect only after several days and is generally considered helpful for the long term. When more immediate measures are necessary, daily doses of around 160-325 mg a day are suggested.

However, there are several downsides to continuous aspirin usage. Many doctors feel that the use of aspirin as a preventative against heart attack and stroke are more beneficial to men than women, at least in terms of preventing a first heart attack or stroke. For some, it may have the opposite desired effect, and is not a good option for people suffering from hypertension, which could increase the chance of bleeding in the brain.

Don't take it upon yourself to treat your heart health with aspirin therapy without first visiting your doctor. While the benefits of aspirin therapy may make it seem like a sure thing when it comes to preventing a heart attack, you, and your doctor, must be aware of any other physical conditions that might make taking daily doses of aspirin more harmful than beneficial.

If you're taking aspirin for heart health, doctors recommend that you don't take ibuprofen products such as Advil or Motrin for pain or fever. Also make sure that your doctor knows every other kind of medication you're taking or if you're taking nutritional supplements or herbal products. It's vital for you to be very honest with your doctor, even if you don't think it's important, or serious side effects or conditions may occur.

Maintaining heart health includes eating properly, getting plenty of exericse and making wise choices when it comes to smoking, drinking or overindulging in any number of things. Most people only have one chance to do things right. Don't make it any harder on yourself than you have to. If your doctor tells you to take a daily low dose of aspirin to help prevent heart attack or stroke, do it.