If I Take Aspirin For Heart Disease Should I Stop
Not necessarily. Patients should check in with their doctors to see whether the risk of brain or gut bleeding during aspirin therapy outweighs their heart-health benefits. Long-term bleeding can cause complications such as anemia or even hemorrhagic stroke in certain patients. In patients with known cardiac and vascular disease, the benefits of aspirin exceed the bleeding risk.
We used to consider taking low-dose aspirin as a sort of healthy aging milestone. But the ASPREE and ASCEND data suggest that we should examine the benefits and risks of aspirin therapy for each patient rather than making broad generalizations. Whether you currently take aspirin every day or youre considering it, talk to your doctor about the implications of this study on your health and whether aspirin therapy is right for you.
To find out whether you or a loved one might benefit from an evaluation for heart disease risk, call or request an appointment online.
If Your Doctor Recommends Aspirin
If your doctor gives you the OK to take a daily low-dose aspirin, its important to take it exactly as advised. Taking the wrong dose or using aspirin incorrectly may increase your risk for harmful side effects or complications.
Other issues you should review with your doctor before starting aspirin include:
- If and how much alcohol you can drink
- What medications or supplements you should avoid
- If you are undergoing a surgical procedure, whether you should stop your aspirin
- Symptoms to watch out for and what to do if they occur
Aspirin Therapy Can Help Prevent Another Heart Attack Or Clot
If youve had a heart attack or clot-related stroke, taking aspirin regularly as directed by your doctor can help lower your risk of another one.
Heart attack and stroke survivors know the value of taking care of their health. With the guidance of your doctor, getting enough exercise, watching your diet, taking your prescription medications all the things you do to manage your heart attack risk levels are positive steps in the right direction. But what if there is one more, simple step you could take to help prevent another heart attack or clot-related stroke a small step that may actually make a big difference?
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Aspirin As A Primary Prevention Measure
The suggested changes say that no one over the age of 60 should take aspirin as primary prevention against cardiovascular disease. Primary prevention is a term for avoiding a first heart attack, ischemic stroke or other type of cardiovascular issue. Low-dose aspirin might be considered for individuals age 40 to 59 who are at moderate risk of developing cardiovascular disease and do not have an increased risk of bleeding.
Bitar says his moderate- to high-risk patients are evaluated using the Framingham scoring system, which helps to predict a persons risk of heart attack and stroke. The system measures factors like HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, blood pressure, age, sex and smoking habits, he said.
For years, aspirin was considered a safe way to prevent heart disease because it served as an over-the-counter medication that thins the blood, thus reducing the risk of clot formation a precursor of heart attack and stroke. But experts now warn about the risk of internal bleeding from consuming aspirin.
Taking aspirin on a daily basis irritates the lining of the stomach and bowels, which can lead to bleeding in the digestive system, said Bitar. For those who have not experienced a cardiovascular event, the benefits of a daily aspirin do not outweigh the risk of bleeding, he says.
Does Aspirin Lower Heart Rate
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How To Check Your Heart Rate
According to certified personal trainer Marianna Johnson, MSW, a good time to check your heart rate is right after you wake up, while youre still in bed. Johnson, owner of Mind Body Health & Fitness in Falls Church, Virginia, says a midday reading is also fine if taken after a few minutes of rest.
To take your heart rate, place your index and middle finger on your wrist or the side of your neck to locate your pulse. Count the number of beats in a minute.
Should You Take It Daily
Many people have this question that whether they should take aspirin daily or not? Is it safe for them to have it daily or they should avoid it considering some side effects? A doctor can give the right answer to this question as he/she will check you thoroughly, know your problems, and then advise you on the right solution for this.
In most cases, if you have any of the following scenarios then a doctor tells you to take aspirin on a daily basis.
In the above case, a doctor will give the prescription to the patient a daily dose of 81mg for protection. A patient who already had a heart attack is prescribed aspirin then it is called secondary prevention as the event is being prevented from happening the second time.
The risk of internal bleeding has to be checked as it is a serious problem. Many patients have faced the internal bleeding problem due to it, mostly the people having age 65 and above.
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Symptoms Of A Heart Attack
Symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- chest pain a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms , jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- feeling sick or being sick
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety
- coughing or wheezing
The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
While the most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain.
Fact: Daily Use Of Aspirin Is Not Right For Everyone
Aspirin has been shown to be helpful when used daily to lower the risk of heart attack, clot-related strokes and other blood flow problems in patients who have cardiovascular disease or who have already had a heart attack or stroke. Many medical professionals prescribe aspirin for these uses. There may be a benefit to daily aspirin use for you if you have some kind of heart or blood vessel disease, or if you have evidence of poor blood flow to the brain. However, the risks of long-term aspirin use may be greater than the benefits if there are no signs of, or risk factors for heart or blood vessel disease.
Every prescription and over-the-counter medicine has benefits and risks even such a common and familiar medicine as aspirin. Aspirin use can result in serious side effects, such as stomach bleeding, bleeding in the brain, and kidney failure. No medicine is completely safe. By carefully reviewing many different factors, your health professional can help you make the best choice for you.
When you don’t have the labeling directions to guide you, you need the medical knowledge of your doctor, nurse practitioner, or other health professional.
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Aspirin Therapy: Right For Your Heart
Daily aspirin helps many, but age, gender, and heart disease risks play a part. Is it right for you?
Sandra Rose, a nurse in Raleigh, NC, started taking a daily aspirin because “it seemed like a wonder drug,” preventing heart attacks and strokes. “All the patients seemed to be on a low-dose aspirin,” 63-year-old Rose says. She started taking one herself.
Then, after hearing reports of stomach bleeding caused by aspirin, this wonder drug had Rose wondering: How can you tell if a daily aspirin is right for you?
How Does Aspirin Work To Prevent A Heart Attack Or Stroke
Aspirin slows the bloods clotting action by reducing the clumping of platelets. Platelets are cells that clump together and help to form blood clots. Aspirin keeps platelets from clumping together, thus helping to prevent or reduce blood clots.
During a heart attack, blood clots form in an already-narrowed artery and block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle . When taken during a heart attack, aspirin slows clotting and decreases the size of the forming blood clot. Taken daily, aspirins anti-clotting action helps prevent a first or second heart attack.
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Recovering From A Heart Attack
The time it takes to recover from a heart attack will depend on the amount of damage to your heart muscle.
Most people can return to work after having a heart attack. Some people are well enough to return to work after 2 weeks. Other people may take several months to recover. How quickly you can go back to work depends on your health, the state of your heart and the type of work you do.
The recovery process aims to:
- reduce your risk of another heart attack through a combination of lifestyle changes , and medicines , which help to lower blood cholesterol levels
- gradually restore your physical fitness so you can resume normal activities
Proven Ways To Lower Your Resting Heart Rate
If your heart is racing as youre sitting reading this article, its possible your body is trying to tell you something. A high resting heart rate, or a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute, means your heart is working extra hard to pump blood through your body. And, that extra effort could result in a wide range of negative effects on your overall health, including feelings of dizziness and fatigue and most seriously blood clots, heart failure and, in rare cases, sudden death.
Normal resting heart rate is anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute, and its simple to check how fast yours is beating. While idle, hold your pointer and middle finger between your bone and tendon on the thumb side on your wrist until you feel your pulse, and count the number of beats for a minute that is your resting heart rate.
Certain aspects of someones resting heart rate are directly connected to uncontrollable factors, such as age and genetics, however there are certain actions that be taken to help decrease heart rate and improve overall wellbeing for those whose resting heart rate is above normal.
Here are six proven ways to lower your resting heart rate:
5. Be Mindful of Your Breathing: On the topic of medication, another quick and easy way to lower your heart rate is to practice mindful breathing exercises. Inhale slowly for five seconds and then exhale slowly for 15 seconds. Try dedicating five minutes to this each day.
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Try These Tips To Stop Heart Palpitations:
- Splash cold water on your face, which stimulates a nerve that manages your heart rate.
- Breathe deeply to help your body relax.
- Vigorously move to stop palpitations through exercise.
- Reduce anxiety in whatever way works best for your unique needs.
- Close your eyes, then use your hands to gently press on your eyeballs.
- Try the Valsalva maneuver: pinch your nostrils closed, then try to blow air through the nose with the nostrils sealed.
- Drink water if the palpitations are associated with dehydration.
- Restore electrolyte balance by eating foods high in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium.
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What Is The Evidence
Despite evidence backing daily aspirin use lowering the chance of first heart attack or stroke, there are harmful effects, including bleeding in the stomach, intestines, and brain. It is shown that the chance of bleeding is increased with age, which can be deadly.
Since the 2016 recommendation statement, evidence has determined the risk of bleeding outweighs the larger benefit of heart disease prevention.
Research has shown that the risk-benefit profile of aspirin is a closer balance for patients in their 50s, while starting aspirin use in patients who are 40 years old may have greater benefit.
It is noted that the recommendation is applied to those at higher risk for CVD, with no history of CVD, and are not currently taking daily aspirin. The statement recommended clinicians consider age, heart disease risk and bleeding risk, as well as a patients values and preference, in determining whether to begin an aspirin regimen.
Daily aspirin use may help prevent heart attacks and strokes in some people, but it can also cause potentially serious harms, such as internal bleeding, said John Wong, MD, a member of the USPSTF. Its important that people who are 40 to 59 years old and dont have a history of heart disease have a conversation with their clinician to decide together if starting to take aspirin is right for them.
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Fact: Daily Aspirin Can Be Safest When Prescribed By A Medical Health Professional
Before deciding if daily aspirin use is right for you, your health professional will need to consider:
- Your medical history and the history of your family members
- Your use of other medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter
- Your use of other products, such as dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbals
- Your allergies or sensitivities, and anything that affects your ability to use the medicine
- What you have to gain, or the benefits, from the use of the medicine
- Other options and their risks and benefits
- What side effects you may experience
- What dose, and what directions for use are best for you
- How to know when the medicine is working or not working for this use
Make sure to tell your health professional all the medicines and dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbals, that you use even if only occasionally.
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Clinical Contributors To This Story
Sarah L. Timmapuri, M.D. contributes to topics such as Cardiac / Heart Health, Exercise / Fitness.
If your heart is racing as youre sitting reading this article, its possible your body is trying to tell you something. A high resting heart rate, or a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute, means your heart is working extra hard to pump blood through your body. And, that extra effort could result in a wide range of negative effects on your overall health, including feelings of dizziness and fatigue and most seriously blood clots, heart failure and, in rare cases, sudden death.
Normal resting heart rate is anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute, and its simple to check how fast yours is beating. While idle, hold your pointer and middle finger between your bone and tendon on the thumb side on your wrist until you feel your pulse, and count the number of beats for a minute that is your resting heart rate.
Certain aspects of someones resting heart rate are directly connected to uncontrollable factors, such as age and genetics, however there are certain actions that be taken to help decrease heart rate and improve overall wellbeing for those whose resting heart rate is above normal.
Here are six proven ways to lower your resting heart rate:
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Why Doctors Recommend Low
Aspirin works like other NSAIDs, and it has the added benefit of reducing the clotting action of blood platelets.
This effect can decrease the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
For that reason, doctors sometimes prescribe a low dose of daily aspirin to people whove had a heart attack or who have a history of heart disease.
For these individuals, aspirin may improve blood flow and prevent future major cardiovascular events.
Before a doctor prescribes aspirin, they consider someones:
- Medical history
- Use of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements
- Allergies and sensitivities
If someone is a good candidate for daily aspirin therapy, the doctor will recommend a specific dosage strength and time of day to take the aspirin.
Are There Any Benefits
People who have been diagnosed with heart disease should still take a low dose of daily aspirin, defined as a dose thats typically 81 milligrams.
Thats because aspirin has anti-platelet, anti-clotting effects that can help keep heart patients arteries open, which is the reason it can benefit people who already have heart disease.
Platelets play a key role in clotting, says Dr. Nissen. And aspirin is a very potent anti-platelet agent because it permanently inhibits the ability of platelets to stick together via a certain mechanism of stickiness. Thats why its useful in secondary prevention, where the risks are very, very high.
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What Should You Do If You Have Heart Palpitations
If you begin to experience chest pains or tightness, you should seek medical attention. Heart palpitations could be a symptom of a serious heart-related condition. You shouldnt ignore them.
Learn about your family history. If you have a family member that has had any type of heart disease, this increases your risk of having a heart attack.
Unless your doctor instructs you otherwise, call 911 or go to the emergency room if you feel sudden, intense heart palpitations. This is especially true if theyre accompanied by:
- shortness of breath