In this Article

• What is aspirin?
• What are antiplatelet agents and how do they work?
• What is dipyridamole?
• When is aspirin used for preventing and treating heart attacks and strokes?
• Treatment of heart attacks
• Treatment of exertional and unstable angina
• Treatment of ischemic strokes
• How effective is aspirin for preventing heart attacks among healthy subjects?
• What are the side effects of aspirin?
• What is aspirin allergy?
• What is the optimal dose of aspirin for treating and preventing heart attacks and strokes?
• Who should be taking aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes?
• Who should not be taking aspirin?
• What interactions might aspirin have with other medications?
• What can be done to reduce the risk of ulcers from long-term aspirin use?
• What are the limitations of aspirin treatment?
• What is aspirin resistance?
• What is in the future for the research on aspirin resistance?
• Aspirin and Antiplatelet Medications Glossary
• Aspirin and Antiplatelet Medications Index

Who should not be taking aspirin?

Patients who should not be taking aspirin include:

• Patients with an allergy to aspirin or other NSAIDs;
  
  
• Patients with active ulcers, especially those with bleeding ulcers, because of the side effects of ulcers and bleeding with aspirin. Among patients who must take aspirin but have had intestinal ulcers, the lowest does of aspirin should be used only after the ulcers heal. It should also be taken together with a proton pump inhibitor such as pantoprazole (Protonix), esomeprazole (Nexium), rabeprazole (Aciphex), or lansoprazole (Prevacid, Prevacid SoluTab) to decrease the risk of recurrent ulcers;
  
  
• Pregnant women and nursing mothers (since aspirin is excreted into breast milk);
  
  
• Teenagers and children with the flu or chickenpox because of the associated risk of Reye's syndrome, a serious disease of the liver and nervous system that can lead to coma and death;
  
  
• Patients with advanced kidney or liver diseases since aspirin may cause toxicity to the kidney and liver;
  
  
• Patients at risk for developing intracranial hemorrhage;
  
  
• Some patients undergoing elective surgery or procedures (Patients taking aspirin should discuss with their doctors whether to stop aspirin for several days to up to two weeks before surgery and procedures to avoid excess bleeding.)

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

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