Cardiovascular disease causes more deaths than all cancers combined.
You can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke with a healthier lifestyle. Ask your doctor what you can do to reduce high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. Your doctor can tell you about the benefits of quitting smoking, losing weight, and exercising. Your doctor also can tell you whether you should start an aspirin regimen to prevent recurrent heart attack or stroke.The American Heart Association has issued the following recommendations for aspirin therapy based on level of risk:
High Risk (10-year risk of 20% or greater): Aspirin therapy should be used unless contraindicated.
Moderate Risk (10-year risk of 10% to 19%): Consider aspirin therapy as long as the benefit is likely to outweigh the risk of gastrointestinal and other side effects.
Lower Risk (10-year risk less than 10%): Routine use of aspirin is not recommended.
The facts about aspirin
Studies in tens of thousands of women demonstrate aspirin's effectiveness in preventing heart attacks and their adverse consequences. The Nurses Health Study, one of the first large-scale evaluations of the effect of aspirin on women, found that women who regularly take aspirin reduced their chance of a heart attack by 30%.Additionally, evidence from clinical trials involving more than 200,000 individuals demonstrate aspirin's effectiveness in reducing the risk of heart attack.
Can aspirin help prevent heart attacks or strokes?
Who should take aspirin to prevent heart attacks or strokes?
Should healthy people take aspirin to prevent heart attacks?
Should you take aspirin if you suspect you are having a heart attack?
What are the possible side effects of long-term aspirin use?
Can aspirin prevent all kinds of stokes?
Do other OTC drugs help treat or prevent heart attacks or strokes?
Who should avoid taking aspirin?
Can aspirin therapy help prevent recurrent heart attacks or strokes?
Aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks or ischemic strokes (strokes caused by a blood clot) in certain people. Aspirin also may help people who suspect they are having a heart attack. Both men and women may benefit from aspirin use. BackIs aspirin safe?
It is important that you talk to your doctor to help you decide if an aspirin regimen is right for you.For most people, aspirin is safe when used as directed. But for some people aspirin can cause side effects. Some of these side effects, such as bleeding in the stomach or other bleeding, can be serious. This is rare and usually related to long term use of high-dosage aspirin beyond traditional over-the-counter use.
Long term use of aspirin must be directed and monitored by your doctor. Back
Who should take aspirin to prevent recurrent heart attacks or strokes?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in men and women who have had a heart attack or ischemic stroke or who have stable or unstable angina. Aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin or modify an aspirin regimen.If you have one or more of the following conditions, talk to your doctor about whether an aspirin regimen is right for you:
- You have had a heart attack
- You have had an ischemic stroke or a mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack)
- You have angina
- You have had certain heart procedures, such as angioplasty or a bypass operation
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Should apparently healthy people take aspirin to prevent heart attacks?
For apparently healthy people without any symptoms of heart disease, the risks of an aspirin therapy may outweigh the benefits. If you have high blood cholesterol, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, or other major risk factors for a heart attack, talk to your doctor about hat you can do to reduce your risk of heart attack and heart disease and whether an aspirin regimen is right for you. Your doctor will weigh your risk of heart attack or heart disease against the potential side effects of long-term aspirin use. BackShould you take aspirin if you suspect you are having a heart attack?
Studies show that taking aspirin as soon as a heart attack is suspected may reduce the risk of death or complications from the heart attack. If you suspect you are having a heart attack, get emergency medical care immediately. Ask your doctor now if you should take aspirin in the event of a suspected heart attack. BackWhat are the possible side effects of long-term aspirin use?
Long-term aspirin use may be associated with side effects. These may include increased or prolonged bleeding, stomach or intestinal, and stomach ulcers. For most people, however, long-term aspirin use is safe when directed and monitored by a doctor. BackCan aspirin prevent all kinds of strokes?
It is important to know that there are two kinds of strokes. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot blocking the flow of blood in part of the brain. About 4 out of 5 strokes are ischemic. A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding from a burst blood vessel in the brain or on the surface of the brain. About 1 out of 5 strokes are hemorrhagic.An aspirin regimen may help prevent a second ischemic stroke, but will not prevent hemorrhagic strokes. In fact, aspirin use slightly increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. If you have a history of stroke, make sure you know what kind of stroke you had. Talk to your doctor and make sure aspirin use is right for you. Back
Do other OTC drugs help treat or prevent heart attacks or strokes?
Aspirin is the only OTC drug that has been shown to prevent heart attack or stroke. Although acetaminophen (for example, TylenolŽ), ibuprofen (AdvilŽ, MotrinŽIB), and naproxen sodium (AleveŽ) are, like aspirin (BayerŽ), good drugs for pain and fever, only aspirin has demonstrated a beneficial effect for recurrent heart attack and stroke prevention. BackWho should avoid taking aspirin?
If you talk with your doctor about an aspirin regimen, ask if there is any reason not to take aspirin. Some people have conditions that aspirin may make worse. In general, your doctor will look at whether you have:- An allergy to aspirin or other salicylates
- Asthma
- Stomach ulcers or a history of ulcers
- Inherited bleeding disorders (hemophilia) or acquired bleeding disorders (liver disease or vitamin K deficiency)
- A history of hemorrhagic stroke (a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain)
- Reduced liver or kidney function
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Tell your doctor if you have three or more alcoholic drinks every day.
Aspirin can interact with other drugs you may be taking. For example, if you are taking a blood thinning medicine, such as heparin or warfarin, aspirin use can increase your risk of bleeding.
Talk to your doctor about all of your medications - both nonprescription (OTC) and prescription - before you begin an aspirin regimen. Back
