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Baby Aspirin & Heart Disease

Consider talking to your doctor about whether aspirin therapy is appropriate. It will depend upon age, health and other medications you are taking. A daily dose of aspirin may help prevent heart attacks and strokes or prevent recurrence of attacks, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, there are drawbacks to consider. For one, aspirin is a blood thinner that can irritate the stomach and promote internal bleeding.

  1. Post-Menopausal Women

    • Aspirin reduced death rates among women age 45 and over with heart disease, according to a study the Women's Health Initiative conducted on the efficacy of aspirin for improving survival rates in such women. One valuable finding: The "baby aspirin" dose of 81 mg improved life expectancy as much as higher doses of 325 mg. A lower dose means less risk of complications of stomach upset or bleeding.

    Conditions Aspirin Helps

    • The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends taking aspirin if you have had a heart attack or have unstable angina--the chest pain resulting from insufficient blood and oxygen reaching the heart. Your doctor should decide if there are other medications and physical conditions that contraindicate aspirin therapy. Clinical trials show aspirin can even help patients with the most serious risks of heart attack, reports the AHA.

    Heart Attacks

    • Taking aspirin promptly when you experience a heart attack can truly be lifesaving, according to the AMA. However, it's crucial to wait until you know for sure it is a heart attack you are experiencing. If
      the symptoms are actually from a stroke, then aspirin could do more harm than good. Thus, the AMA recommends taking no aspirin until 911 has been called. If the operator says nothing about taking an aspirin, leave it for the emergency room physician to determine, recommends the AMA.

    The Diabetic's Heart

    • Diabetics have an increased risk of fatal cardiovascular disease, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). One reason involves platelets in the bloodstream that clump to stop bleeding when injury occurs. Clumping occurs more readily in diabetics, creating blood clots--especially dangerous for diabetics with already disease-impaired cardiovascular systems. Aspirin interferes with the biological mechanisms that make platelets clot excessively. The ADA suggests low-dose aspirin be a principal ingredient of any preventative care regimen for heart disease patients who are also diabetic.

    Recommended Dosages

    • Daily doses of 75 to 162 mg achieve the desired results without causing side effects, believes the American Heart Association, based on clinical trials. One baby aspirin has 81 mg, compared to the 325 mg in one adult pill.

    Many Missing Protection

    • Only 46 percent of the women in the WHI study were on an aspirin regimen. The study also found that African-American women and women on low-income insurance programs like Medicaid were even less likely to take aspirin regularly. Less than half of diabetics who could benefit from taking a daily dose of actually did, according to the ADA.

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