An Aspirin a Day May Keep Heart
Trouble Away

Although aspirin first was used as a pain reliever, it also has blood-thinning properties. That’s why a daily aspirin may help lower the risk of a heart attack in some people.

A heart attack typically occurs when an artery to the heart becomes blocked; thinner blood may be able to keep flowing around a partial clog rather than stopping.

Even so, daily aspirin therapy isn’t for everyone. Aspirin’s ability to thin blood, as well as its other side effects, also may lead to stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by bleeding in the brain.

What’s more, new studies show that aspirin doesn’t seem to protect women from a first heart attack, though it may help protect against strokes caused by clots. If you’re not at high risk of a heart attack, taking aspirin every day may not be a good idea. So, it’s important to talk with your doctor before using it regularly.

Aspirin during a heart attack If you suspect that you’re having a heart attack, taking a regular-strength aspirin can help you avoid some of the potential damage to your heart.

“If you have symptoms of a heart attack you should take an aspirin, preferably a chewable tablet that is absorbed quickly,” according to Maziar Azadpour, M.D., cardiologist at Salem Hospital. “Studies have shown that this can reduce the fatality rate by as much as 20 percent, because the aspirin helps dissolve or reduce the blockage of the blood vessel.”