Low-dose aspirin best for preventing heart attacks - Heart Disorders Message Board

nosa47 · 05-14-2007, 11:26 AM

That is the title of an article for a new study that found "a daily aspirin of 75 to 81 mg is best for the long-term prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke without causing serious side effects." They go on to say that the higher doses don't offer better protection and are associated with increased risk of GI bleeding. One doctor mentioned that people with prior heart attack or stroke should be on the lowest possible dose and " there is data to suggest that higher doses are associated with worse outcomes."

The only thing that seems to be missing in this study/article is that they did not specifically mention whether these findings still apply for people who have had stents implanted. Another issue to be discussed with the cardiologist I guess. What do you guys think?

Mike In NY · 05-14-2007, 01:47 PM

So much confusion concerning aspirin for preventing heart attack. I read an article which states that it doesn't do any good. Another one says it increases risk of pancreatic cancer and that Doctors in England won't recommend aspirin. Yet another article recommends instead of aspirin take Nattokinase. Yet another says dark chocolate is better than aspirin.

Lenin · 05-14-2007, 03:56 PM

nosa,

I have read some evidence that this is not true for the universal population. A study showed that about 25% of the population get NO decrease in platelet stickiness with the low dose aspirin and that of the 25%, something like 2/3 of these non-responders get full platelet protection with a 325 mg.dose.

So absent any actual testing to determine in which group you are, it might be wiser to go for the increased protection.

I know that aspirin is also a very potent anti-inflammatory agent. Many have espoused inflammatory processes that initiate plaque deposition. I think it is logical to assume that aspirin is most likely beneficial to our hearts via this route also. And the effect on inflammation is not present with tiny aspirin doses.
Those who prescribe 81 mg. doses to the general public are ignoring this anti-inflammmatory effect.

I take 650 mg. per day. If it bothered my stomach, I'd take less but I am able to handle 650 or even 1300 mg. with no trouble.

I tell my friends who ask to take 325 mg.

nosa47 · 05-14-2007, 07:33 PM

Thanks Lenin for the response. I have been taking the full dose 325 mg enteric aspirin since my stent placement over 15 months ago. I did have one GI episode in October 2006 where they found "mild gastritis." However, back then I was also on Plavix (stopped in February 2007) which I have read recently that it is the one more likely to be implicated in ulcers. I am tolerating this dose and will continue to take it especially since they did not address the stent issue, and after re-reading the article, it says that more evidence is needed for the finding to be conclusive and that there is not enough data to adequately compare lower vs higher dose.

While searching to re-read this article I found another article dated 5-14-07 of yet another new study that found that "A daily dose of 300 milligrams of aspirin taken for 10 years can cut colon cancer risk by as much as 74 percent," a new British study suggests. So I guess another reason to keep taking the higher dose.