by ArtiSiN

Created on: August 27, 2009   Last Updated: August 28, 2009

Taking an aspirin daily may save your life. That is, if your life is at risk and in need of saving in the first place. With that said aspirin therapy is not for everyone; but it may prove life saving for those at risk for catastrophic cardiovascular events, such as a stroke or a heart attack. Likewise, those with an established history of cardiovascular disease may find aspirin to be their knight in shining armor. While this may be true, aspirin can also stab you in the back if used in high doses or under the wrong conditions. Therefore it is up to you, the reader (and your doctor of course), to determine your candidacy for daily aspirin therapy with the facts provided in this article.

Eligibility

If you are among those pondering daily aspirin therapy, first ask yourself, "Am I at risk?" Specific risk factors include: high blood pressure, frequency of alcohol and tobacco use, stress level, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and a family history of cardiovascular disease. Secondly, but equally important, determine whether or not you have any of the following: bleeding or clotting disorder, asthma, stomach ulcers, and heart failure. If you find that you are at risk for heart disease, and are not prone to any of the other above mentioned debilitating illnesses, then the benefits of daily aspirin await you!

(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/daily-aspirin-thera py/HB00073)

Benefits

Indeed when it comes to the preservation of life, any reduction of harm is vital. It is for this reason that a widely available tablet such as aspirin has been proven to be so effective time and time again through its secondary and primary prevention uses. Secondary prevention is for those with preexisting cardiovascular conditions, while primary prevention refers to those without a condition but similarly at risk. As a secondary prevention method, aspirin helps to lower the frequency of future cardiovascular incidents and also lower the mortality rate. As a primary prevention aid, the main benefit is that it reduces clots that can lead to serious cardiovascular problems in the future. In one clinical study, "[Researchers] found that patients who took low-dose aspirin had a 26 percent reduction in the risk of a nonfatal heart attack, a 25 percent reduction in the risk of stroke and a 13 percent reduction in risk of death". (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/0611161 00758.htm) Aspirin has also proven to be beneficial to those suffering from heart attacks. Chewing 2-4 baby aspirin

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