Using Aspirin For The Prevention Of A Heart Attack
by: David Cowley
People who have experienced a heart attach should take aspirin in order to help prevent another attack from occurring according to the American Heart Association. Studies have concluded that aspirin can help to prevent a heart attach and it's also effective for people who have been determined by their doctor to have a high risk of having an attack. Before you begin aspirin therapy you should consult with your physician.
Effectiveness of Aspirin
Aspirin is effective at preventing a person from having a heart attach by preventing clots from forming that can block the flow of blood to the heart. People who have already had an attack can usually be helped by using an aspirin therapy program and people who have not had an attack but are at high risk due to diabetes, high cholesterol and other factors can get some protection with an aspirin therapy program. However taking aspirin on a daily basis can thin out your blood and can produce side effects such as bleeding.
There is a risk of experiencing sever bleeding by taking too much aspirin. A study has concluded that using more than 100 mg of aspirin per day significantly increases the possibility of bleeding from your nose as well as severe problems such as bleeding in your brain also called a stroke. One study has shown that serious bleeding happens in just a little more that one percent of patients who have heart disease and are involved in aspirin therapy with dosages of around 80 mg of aspirin per day.
Baby Aspirin
However a serious bleeding condition happens to about five percent of people who have heart disease and are using 200 mg or more of aspirin on a daily basis in order to prevent a heart attach from occurring. When the study reviewed all the bleeding that occurred due to being involved in aspirin therapy, including simple bleeding, taking 100 to 200 mg a day of aspirin caused bleeding in eleven percent of the people. People who were taking baby aspirin showed a rate of slightly more than one percent for bleeding.
There is some disagreement in the medical community about the proper dosage of aspirin for people who are taking it to prevent a heart attach. However studies have shown that taking a baby aspirin can be effective and is safer than taking a higher dosage on a daily basis. There are some situations where a patient might begin taking a higher dosage and then decrease it as time goes by such as a patient who had stents placed in his arteries. Stints are very small flexible types of coils that are utilized to open up blocked arteries; however stints increase the possibility of acquiring blood clots.
The Benefits of a Daily Low Dose Aspirin Regimen
by: Tom Klamet
Aspirin is one of the most carefully studied drugs available and has been used to reduce pain and inflammation for over a century. Evidence is rapidly growing that supports aspirins use in lowering the rates of heart attacks, stroke, colon cancer and even Alzheimers disease.
Living up to its reputation as a lifesaving drug, aspirins action as a blood thinner has been shown in clinical studies to reduce the rate of heart attacks, strokes and related deaths. This can be credited to aspirins ability to prevent blood from clotting, thereby preventing these events. In the event a heart attack or stroke does occur, taken immediately, aspirin can reduce their severity. Some preliminary data even suggests that regular aspirin use may prevent certain cancers from occurring.
Beyond benefits to the cardio vascular system, there are many other little known applications for a daily aspirin regimen, and they could be life saving. Here are a few facts about aspirin that support its use for the prevention of common ailments and health risks:
Benefits of aspirin
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Current Treatments to Help Prevent a Heart Attack in Heart Disease Patients
By Charles. Harmon
In addition to lifestyle changes, a diagnosis of heart disease is typically followed by surgery and sometimes mediation treatment or just mediation treatment. Unlike other health conditions that are cured with a surgical procedure or with medication, treating heart disease is a matter of managing the risk factors that contribute to the progression of the disease. The treatment plan a doctor advises depends on how developed heart disease is and the individual’s particular situation. Since heart disease predisposes an individual to a myocardial infarction (heart attack), the treatment plan for heart disease typically involves medication to help prevent a heart attack.
Aspirin
Doctors continue to recommend that patients with heart disease simply take one aspirin each day. This may be a baby aspirin or a regular strength aspirin. Aspirin is probably the oldest preventive measure for heart attack. Aspirin is unique in that it both prevents and treats heart disease. The key to aspirin’s success in preventing heart attacks is its ability to block the body’s production of chemicals that can cause blood platelets to form blood clots.
There are some side effects associated with using aspirin on a regular basis, same as there may be when you take other medicines on a regular basis. It can cause upset stomachs. People who have gastrointestinal conditions typically are not ideal candidates for aspirin therapy. You can buy coated aspirins that are not as hard on the stomach, but take longer for the aspirin to reach the blood stream. This is more important in situations when aspirin is used in emergency situations. It is most often prescribed to elderly patients or that who have already suffered a heart attack.
ACE Inhibitors
Many people with heart disease have high blood pressure. If implementing dietary changes and starting an exercise program doesn’t decrease your blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe an angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. The most common medicines prescribed for high blood pressure include Captopril (Capoten), Enalapril (Vasotec), and Fosinopril (Monopril). High blood pressure is a result of decreased blood flow through the blood vessels. ACE inhibitors work to prevent the conversion of angiotension II in the body, thus lowering blood pressure.
The common symptoms associated with ACE inhibitors are considered mild and include a dry cough, indigestion, sinusitis, and nausea. ACE inhibitors are not appropriate for pregnant women and individuals who have kidney disease. You should not use ACE inhibitors if you are taking non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, anesthetics, and diuretics. ACE inhibitors are particularly beneficial for individuals who have high blood pressure and who have suffered a heart attack.
Beta Blockers
Beta blockers are prescribed for a variety of heart conditions, including arrhythmia, angina, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, the medication has shown the most benefit in preventing heart attacks in patients diagnosed with heart disease. Beta blockers are similar to ACE inhibitors in that they enable the heart to function more efficiently. The difference in the two medications is that beta blockers modify the heart rate so that the heart is no longer placed under stress.
Beta blockers are suitable for most individuals, except asthmatics, and people being treated for emphysema and hypotention (low blood pressure). The medication can mask low blood sugar, so doctors may not prescribe the medication for diabetics. Whether or not pregnant women should take beta blockers is a decision that doctors make on an individual basis.
Some studies indicate that Beta blockers could result in low blood pressure in pregnant mothers and babies who are breastfed by women taking beta blockers may result in low blood pressure in the baby. The most common symptoms of beta blockers include lightheadedness, vomiting, and weight gain.
Ace inhibitors and beta blockers should not be used without a doctor's prescription. Although you commonly hear to take aspirin to prevent heart attacks you should consult with your doctor before taking aspirin on a regular basis for anything to do with preventing heart attacks.
To date there is no medicine or treatment that will definitely cure or prevent heart disease. Since heart disease is not just one disease but could be any number of diseases affecting the heart, any real cure may be a long time coming, especially if it is true that genetics is a contributor of heart disease.
Charles is a software developer and owns several websites. Charles is currently building a site dedicated to heart health and for more information about heart health visit http://www.heart-health-info.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles._Harmon.
