Did you know...
Did you know that aspirin can be an easy and inexpensive way to help men prevent heart attacks?
Taking Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attacks (For Men) Taking Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attacks (For Men)Did you know...Did you know that aspirin can be an easy and inexpensive way to help men prevent heart attacks? High-resolution PDF version for printing (Tri-fold Brochure)
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How does
aspirin help men prevent heart attacks? How does aspirin help men prevent heart attacks?Plaque is a sticky substance that sometimes builds up and blocks arteries that carry blood to the heart. This can cause heart disease, including angina ("AN-je'nah") and heart attacks. Aspirin can help blood flow smoothly to the heart.
If you are a man aged 45-79, talk with your provider about whether to take aspirin to reduce the chances of a heart attack. Does aspirin also help women prevent heart attacks?Aspirin is NOT useful in preventing heart attacks in women, but it IS USEFUL for preventing strokes. Please see the brochure Talk with Your Health Care Provider About Taking Aspirin to Prevent Strokes for more information. What increases the chances of having a heart attack?The older you are, the greater the chances that you can have a heart attack. Other risk factors for heart attack include:
The more of these risk factors you have, the greater your chances of having a heart attack. How much can aspirin reduce the chance of having a heart attack?It depends on your age, your health, and your lifestyle. If you smoke, the best way to prevent a heart attack is to quit smoking. Whether you smoke or not, taking aspirin gives you some protection against a heart attack. In general, aspirin reduces the chance of a first heart attack by about 32% in men. You can use the following website to calculate your specific chance of a heart attack. You can also see how much aspirin will reduce your chances: http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/atpiii/calculator.asp. Is there any harm in taking aspirin?Taking aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach. This can sometimes be serious. This risk increases with age. This risk also increases if aspirin is used together with another anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen or naprosyn (Advil®, Motrin®, Naproxen®, Aleve®, etc.) Taking aspirin also increases the chances of a rare kind of stroke. Should you take aspirin?It's always a good idea to talk with your provider before taking aspirin to prevent a heart attack.
How much aspirin should you take?If you and your provider decide that aspirin is right for you, then you should take either:
Taking more aspirin is not any better and can cause serious stomach bleeding. If you have side effects, tell your provider. Here are some questions to ask your provider:
For more information, please contact your local VA Medical Center or Health Clinic. |