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September Health Tip

What’s In The News:

Aspirin and the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Aspirin is a drug with which we all have familiarity.  Multiple medical research studies have clearly documented the benefits of aspirin in preventing cardiovascular disease.  Coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke are included in the discussion of cardiovascular disease. 

Aspirin is beneficial in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.  This means that it can help prevent the second cardiovascular event (such as heart attack, TIA, stroke or cardiovascular death) in someone who has previously had a heart attack, angina, TIA or stroke.

It is also helpful during the acute cardiovascular event (such as chest pain, neurological symptoms) because it helps prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Lastly, it is helpful in preventing the first heart attack in those who are at moderate to high risk for heart attacks.  Clearly those patients with metabolic syndrome and those with diabetes and one additional risk factor should consider taking prophylactic aspirin.  The American Heart Association recommends that all healthy men and women who have a 10% or greater risk of a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years, take aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.  You should discuss this with your physician as he or she may help you calculate your cardiovascular risk with a formula called the Framingham Risk Calculator.

Aspirin does have potential side effects and perhaps the most serious of these is gastrointestinal bleeding.  You should discuss with your physician if your risk of bleeding outweighs the benefits of aspirin therapy.  Taking coated aspirin may help prevent direct toxicity to the stomach such as erosions, but it will not lower the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.  Other side effects to be aware of include easy bruising and nose bleeds.  Some patients cannot take aspirin because of hypersensitivity or allergy to aspirin.  This may be manifested by runny nose, asthma type symptoms, hives, or even anaphylaxis.  For these reasons, you should start taking prophylactic aspirin only upon advice from your doctor.  He or she will help you decide the dose of aspirin that is needed.  Many times, a low strength is used such as 81 mg.

In summary, aspirin has both benefits and risks. Those individuals with either known cardiovascular disease, or with a moderate to high risk of cardiovascular disease, should consider daily aspirin for prophylaxis.  The risks of aspirin therapy have to be weighed against the benefits of aspirin and your physician can help you do this. 

For more information:
MU Health Sciences Library