How Does Aspirin Help the Heart?

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How Does Aspirin Help the Heart?
healthreachcares.org/how-does-aspirin-help-the-hea
rt jonas
October 20, 2021
What is aspirin? For more than 100 years, aspirin
has been used as a pain reliever for headaches
and other minor aches and pains. More recently,
aspirin has been widely studied in terms of both
preventing cardiovascular disease and in managing
the conditions of people who have already had
heart disease or a history of a heart attack. A
spirin therapy in heart attack patients
significantly reduces the risk of damage from the
ongoing attack, as well as the overall risk of
having another one. How does aspirin reduce
pain? Chewing the tablet, rather than swallowing
it whole, helps release the medication into the
bloodstream faster. Men are more likely than
women to take or to be given aspirin. Patients
over 80 are less likely than others to be
prescribed aspirin tablet. Chemically, aspirin
is known as the compound acetylsalicylic acid
(ASA). It fights pain and inflammation by
blocking the enzyme called cyclooxygenase, or
COX. When this enzyme is blocked, the body is
less able to produce prostaglandin, which is a
chemical that signals an injury and triggers
pain. For example, if a person bumps his or her
head, the
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damaged tissue in the head releases chemicals to
help the person feel that pain. Some of these
chemicals are prostaglandins. Therefore, blocking
their production will lessen the pain felt from
an injury or body ache. Aspirin does not heal the
underlying problem causing the pain (i.e., the
wound itself), but it can help reduce the number
of pain alerters traveling through the nerves
to the brain. How can aspirin help the heart? By
helping to prevent blood clots, aspirin helps to
maintain adequate blood flow through the
arteries, thus lowering the risk of a heart
attack in both men and women. Furthermore,
aspirin has been found to reduce the damage of a
current or past heart attack if taken either
during or immediately after the attack. Along
the same lines, aspirin may be used under a
physicians guidance to help in the treatment of
certain types of chest pain, pressure or
discomfort called angina. Aspirin therapy has
also been shown to be beneficial for patients who
have had angioplasty, c oronary bypass surgery
treatment, or atrial fibrillation. Who would
benefit from aspirin and who would not? In
general, aspirin has been recommended for
patients in the following categories Patients
with high homocysteine levels or abnormal
C-reactive protein test Those who have
experienced heart attack or angina Those who
have significant risk factors for heart disease
(e.g., smoking, lack of exercise, high levels of
cholesterol or triglycerides, diabetes or high
blood pressure) Those who have undergone bypass
surgery Those who have risk factors for a heart
attack Men over the age of 40 and, possibly,
women after menopause Those with known a rteria
coronaria disease In general, the following
people are usually advised against taking
aspirin Pregnant women, especially during the
first and third trimesters. Aspirin can prolong
or otherwise complicate delivery. People who are
about to have surgery. Aspirin can promote
excessive bleeding and most surgeons request
that their patients refrain from taking aspirin
for several (generally 10) days before
surgery. Children under 18 who are recovering
from chickenpox or the flu.
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Aspirin has been linked to stomach irritation,
liver damage, and excessive bleeding in such
people. People with chronic intestinal problems,
including ulcers, gastritis, inflammatory bowel
disease, and bleeding conditions. People taking
certain NSAIDs. Many patients can be safely
treated with anticoagulants and low-dose
aspirin. People with allergies to some
medications, including aspirin. For individuals
with no history or significant risk of heart
disease, the evidence indicates that aspirins
best medical benefit is limited to temporary pain
relief.