Pros and Cons of Baby Aspirin
March 12, 2024By: Annette Villena
Categories: Cardiac, Prevention, Your Wellness
Everyone has heard the saying “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” But did you know, for some people, an aspirin a day can keep heart events at bay? This is known as aspirin therapy, which is when someone at a higher risk of cardiovascular events takes daily, low-dose aspirin, also known as baby aspirin. People on aspirin therapy typically take 81 mg of aspirin each day.
Aspirin therapy is not for everyone, though. While researchers have found some benefits to baby aspirin, there are risks to this treatment option, too.
What Is Baby Aspirin?
Like ibuprofen (Advil®) and naproxen (Aleve®), aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and comes in a variety of formulations and strengths.
One of the most popular over-the-counter drugs in the country, aspirin can help ease arthritis symptoms, lower fevers, reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Because aspirin is also a blood thinner, many people use it to prevent blood clots from forming, which helps lower their risk of heart attack or stroke.
Benefits
Some of the pros of taking baby aspirin include:
- Improves health outcomes: Taking a 325-mg dose of aspirin during a heart attack, especially in the early stages, can keep the size of the clot down. Notably, aspirin should be used in addition to emergency treatment — not as a replacement. Call 911 first if you think you are having a heart attack.
- Lowers risk of cardiovascular events: For patients with known risk factors for heart disease (such as a family history of it), those who have previously had heart attacks or strokes, or those who have had cardiac interventions to treat heart disease (such as stent placements or open-heart surgery), aspirin therapy may help lower the risk of future cardiac events.
- Reduces clotting: Aspirin prevents blood platelets, the smallest components in your blood, from clumping together to form clots.
Risks
Baby aspirin is not for everyone and can do more harm than good for some people. Risks of this treatment option include:
- Allergic reaction: Patients allergic to aspirin may break out in hives or have swelling or difficulty breathing.
- Bleeding risk: Because baby aspirin acts as a blood thinner, it can cause internal bleeding and make you bleed easily.
- Hemorrhagic stroke: Though aspirin can help prevent strokes from clots, it can have the opposite effect by causing bleeding strokes in the brain.
- Stomach problems: Taking aspirin, especially on an empty stomach, can cause nausea. Over time, it may cause stomach ulcers.
Generally, bleeding risk is the biggest concern for doctors who consider prescribing aspirin therapy.
Who Can Benefit from Baby Aspirin?
Baby aspirin is most beneficial for middle-aged people with a higher risk of heart attacks or strokes. That’s because the benefits of baby aspirin can outweigh the risk factors for this group.
Someone is considered high risk is when there is more than a 10% chance of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years. This risk accounts for several factors, including age, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and family history of heart disease. People with a low risk of heart attack or stroke likely will not benefit from aspirin therapy. Similarly, people at risk of bleeding, including older patients or those on blood thinners, should not take daily aspirin.
Before starting any new therapies or treatments, including taking baby aspirin, talk to your primary care doctor.
