Aspirin is a common and familiar drug that has been used for centuries as a pain reliever. You’ve probably used it several times to relieve headaches, body aches, and even fever. However, did you know that it can be used to lower the risk of a heart attack? Yes, that’s right. If you are at a high danger of getting a heart attack, or you’ve already had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor may recommend daily aspirin for you after carefully weighing the benefits and risks. However, before considering aspirin therapy for your heart, here are crucial facts about aspirin that you need to know.

But first, let us look at how aspirin therapy works to prevent a heart attack.

• How aspirin therapy works

Aspirin works by interfering with the clotting action of the blood.
Whenever you bleed, platelets, which are the blood’s clotting cells, build up at the area where you wounded. These platelets form a plug, which closes the opening in your blood vessels in order to stop the bleeding.
However, clotting can also take inside the blood vessels that supply the heart with blood. People with narrow blood vessels can experience bursting of the fatty deposits in their arteries. When this happens, a blood clot can form quickly, blocking the artery. This prevents proper flow of blood to the heart, causing a heart attack. Taking aspirin helps to reduce the clumping of platelets, thereby minimizing the risk of getting a heart attack.

Facts about aspirin therapy

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