Do you take a Baby Aspirin a day to protect your Heart?

[Sudden_Kestrel]

I don’t, and I’m over 50. I don’t want to protect my heart. I want it to give out at the first opportunity.

[Comicenbe]

@Mr.Accident

This. I’m 30 and take one on a daily basis. Heart trouble runs in both sides of my family, and I’m over weight, so better safe than sorry.

Even when/if I meet my weight goals, I’ll still take one on a daily basis. I wanna live as long as I can.

wanders off in search of the spring from Tuck Everlasting

Haha

[rhubarbarin]

I have zero risk factors for heart disease as well as being young and living a healthier-than-average lifestyle, so I can’t imagine I ever will.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

Remember, while taking an aspirin a day does reduce heart attack risk for selected people, it also increases the risk of gastro-intestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke for many folks.

The key is to figure out which is the greater risk for you: Having a heart attack without aspirin, or seriously hemorrhaging with it.

I’ve consulted my cardiologist, and I take 81 mg of aspirin every day.

I’ve advised plenty of my patients to do the same.

I’ve also advised plenty of my patients to skip the daily aspirin.

[carnut]

I take 81 mg of aspirin on a M-W-F frequency. My doc does not want me to do more. There have been studies showing that aspirin may not help women as much as it does men in the heart attack arena.

[Critical_Mass]

I’m 43. Diabetic. Good control on blood glucose, good cholesterol numbers, good bp, good weight, moderate exercise. I take 81mg per day on the advice of my endocrinologist.

[septimus]

I’ve had at least one heart attack (and bouts of very severe angina); cardiologist prescribed 300 mg of aspirin daily.

Is this high dose clearly wrong, and should I change it unilaterally? There are some very bad doctors in Thailand, but this one seems intelligent, competent, speaks excellent English, works at one of the best hospitals in Bangkok, and has successfully performed two angiograms on me and installed a stent.

[aceplace57]

I wouldn’t change any medicine without discussing it with a doctor. The doctor knows the dose you need. Especially since you’re already a heart patient. You need to follow whatever the doctor tells you to do.

[picunurse]

Low dose aspirin, (There is no product on the market today called “Baby Aspirin.” Children under 14 should never be given asprin to avoid the risk of Reyes Syndrome.) should be taken before bedtime, rather than in the morning. MIs occurring at night or early morning have poorer out comes than those that strike during the day. Aspirin taken at night will have a greater effect if taken closer to the event.

Also, chewing a regular, full strength aspirin at the first onset of chest pain may save your life. It helps stop the clot that could be obstructing your coronary vessel from growing any bigger.

[jjimm]

Yep, I smoke and I’m over 40. I take a ‘baby’ every day and an extra one before a long-haul flight.

[Art_Rock]

Yes, doctor’s orders (I had a heart attack just over a year ago).

[Khadaji]

My heart doc recommended that I do it, so I do.

[highrollinwooded]

A customer in my line had a discussion with me about it, and made me promise to take one/daily. I have for the past year…

[Nava]

My ECGs are fine, my platelets work beautifully while also never having produced anything which may be considered a possible lead for heart attacks, nobody in my family has died of a heart attack in the last 5 generations; one grandmother and the other side’s grandparents have had strokes. No daily aspirin here.

Please don’t self-medicate, folks. As QtM said at greater length, a person’s antidote is another one’s poison.

[kferr]

I’m over 40 (50 next year) and have atrial fibrillation and take a 75mg asprin daily along with a couple other meds.

[longPath]

I had a minor heart attack in 2001 and then a quad bypass in 2007, I don’t recall if I was put on 81mg of ASA after the MI or not but I sure was after the surgery, along with a beta blocker, ACE inhibitor and two different cholesterol lowering meds.

[Annie-Xmas]

I have very weird blood that takes forever to clot. Taking an asprin a day would probably kill me within a year.

The only time I take one is for migraines.

[DSeid]

I do not take one.

For those interested, here is a list of the Cochrane reviews on taking aspirin.

Their introduction:

Despite the widespread use of aspirin for the prevention of CVD, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has highlighted that aspirin is not licensed for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes in people without a history of vascular disease (primary prevention),[1] as the risk of having a major bleed with aspirin may outweigh any vascular benefit.[2] Aspirin is only licensed in the UK for the prevention of thrombotic cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease in people who already have vascular disease (secondary prevention).[1]

[aceplace57]

Any medicine should only be taken under doctors orders & supervision.
Aspirin is a drug and can have complications if its taken daily.

[WhyNot]

@septimus

I’ve had at least one heart attack (and bouts of very severe angina); cardiologist prescribed 300 mg of aspirin daily.

Is this high dose clearly wrong, and should I change it unilaterally? There are some very bad doctors in Thailand, but this one seems intelligent, competent, speaks excellent English, works at one of the best hospitals in Bangkok, and has successfully performed two angiograms on me and installed a stent.

It’s not uncommon for men to be on 325 if they’ve had a heart attack already. I can’t say whether or not it’s right for you, but if you generally trust your doctor, I’d trust him on this.

@picunurse

Low dose aspirin, <snip> should be taken before bedtime, rather than in the morning. MIs occurring at night or early morning have poorer out comes than those that strike during the day. Aspirin taken at night will have a greater effect if taken closer to the event.

Do you happen to have a source for this? I’ve been arguing it by logic for a while now, but I don’t have any “evidence based” basis for it, if you know what I mean.

Also, chewing a regular, full strength aspirin at the first onset of chest pain may save your life. It helps stop the clot that could be obstructing your coronary vessel from growing any bigger.

Question: should patients already on daily ASA still take a full strength aspirin at the first onset of chest pain? Does it make a difference if they’re on 325mg or 81mg?