An Aspirin a Day:
No Appointment Necessary

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, February 19 and April 16, 2005

Show 207

Dr. Lisa Thornton:

You probably heard that taking low dose aspirin everyday can help prevent heart disease. But people often ask if there are precautions they should take.

Keith McLaughlin, PharmD:

Aspirin is used for several different conditions. And it can be very beneficial to different types of patients when used appropriately. The biggest health benefits of aspirin are the prevention of stroke, the prevention of a heart attack and also the decrease in risk of development of certain types of cancers. People who should be taking aspirin therapy are men over the age of 40, post menopausal women, and younger people who have risk factors for heart disease such as smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, or high blood pressure. The people that should not be taking aspirin, include people who have stomach bleeding, people who are on blood thinners, people who have allergies to any kind of aspirin or aspirin products. And also people who have kidney or liver disease. The recommended daily dose is usually between 81 and 325 milligrams of aspirin once a day. Since aspirin has different affects in different people, sometimes people need a lower dose to achieve the same affect. The best recommendation is to speak to your doctor before starting daily aspirin therapy.