DISCLAIMER: THIS PAGE CONTAINS A GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DISCUSSION ON THE ABOVE TOPIC. IT IS NOT HEALTH ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS SUCH. YOU SHOULD NEVER RELY UPON THE INFORMATION GIVEN HERE. YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES MAY WELL REQUIRE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH. YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES IN YOUR MEDICATIONS, DIET, ACTIVITY, LIFESTYLE, ETC. WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING A LICENSED PHYSICIAN IN YOUR AREA.
Aspirin is a naturally occurring substance found in the bark of willow trees. Its chemical name is acetylsalicylic acid. It interferes with the function of something in the blood called platelets. Platelets promote the clotting of blood which is good when a person cuts themselves but bad when a person clots off a blood vessel inside their body. Heart attacks occur when a blood clot forms over an underlying area of arteriosclerosis in a blood vessel in the heart. Blood clots in the blood vessels that go to the brain results in strokes.
Aspirin has been proven to be beneficial in most patients with established vascular disease. It helps prevent heart attacks as well as strokes in such people.
What about using aspirin in people with no evidence of vascular disease to prevent future trouble? This is an area of some controversy. Use of aspirin does have known risks such as causing ulcers and, rarely, bleeding into the brain. Thus, it may be reasonable for healthy people to take aspirin if they are at risk for developing coronary disease or certain other diseases of the blood vessels. Although aspirin is an over the counter medication, we advise checking with your doctor before taking it chronically to prevent heart disease.
Related Page: Antiplatelet Agents
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