Aspirin Update

You take an aspirin daily, but are you getting the full benefits?

By Ted Spiker
From Reader's Digest
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Always ask your doctor before starting an aspirin regimen.
Always ask your doctor before starting an aspirin regimen.
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This medicine-cabinet staple has long been touted as a wonder drug. Not only does aspirin relieve pain, it also lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack, and colon cancer. But popping the pills daily may not work for everyone. Up to 60 percent of us, both healthy people and those being treated for all types of heart disease, may have some level of resistance to aspirin's benefits, according to a review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

What is aspirin resistance?
Aspirin keeps platelets from sticking, lowering the risk of clotting. People who are aspirin-resistant still get pain relief but not the full blood-thinning effects.

How do I know whether I'm resistant?
New blood tests can help your doctor decide whether to give you a different therapy, especially if you're at risk or are being treated for heart disease. The tests aren't yet widely available, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Are there alternatives?
Aspirin-resistant patients may respond to other antiplatelet drugs, such as clopidogrel. •

From Reader's Digest - August 2008
 
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there is a fda approved urine test to see if the aspirin you are taking is working... it's called aspirinworks. It's a lot less invasive than the blood tests and is being used by physicians across the country. Here's the website: www.aspirinworks.com

By drsam9904, on 09/05/2008
My stomach can't handle aspirin, so I have a small glass of red wine each evening for the heart.

By bbcookie, on 07/16/2008

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