Aspirin for your heart

Consumer Reports News: September 08, 2010 07:08 AM

The website for Fasprin, aspirin that dissolves in your mouth, suggests that it works faster than other aspirin to limit damage during a heart attack. It also recommends Fasprin for preventing attacks. And although Bayer says that its Quick Release Crystals are not appropriate for cardiovascular use, it's easy to see why some people might think they're a good idea. Are those aspirin products really better than other kinds?

Help during attacks

Nothing has been proven to be better than chewing and swallowing an uncoated, 325-milligram tablet during a heart attack, says Steven Nissen, M.D., chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. You would have to take four Fasprins (81 milligrams) to match one regular aspirin. And Bayer says its Quick Release product—which contains 850 milligrams of aspirin, plus caffeine—hasn't been assessed for treating heart attacks and shouldn't be used for that purpose.

For prevention

Aspirin can help prevent heart attacks, too. But it's not for everyone, in part because it can also cause gastrointestinal bleeding. People at very high risk of heart attack or stroke should usually take low-dose aspirin. Men between 45 and 79 without that history should talk with a doctor to determine their 10-year heart-attack risk based on such factors as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Women between 55 and 79 often also benefit, but only if they have a high 10-year stroke risk. The therapy should generally be limited to those who are not at increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And everyone should take these steps to maximize aspirin's benefits and minimize its risks:

Stick with low-dose, 81-milligram (baby) aspirin. Fasprin might be a good choice if you can't swallow pills, but it costs more than generic forms, and its fast action is largely irrelevant for prevention.

Protect your stomach. If your doctor says you need aspirin, but you have a history of stomach bleeding, ask about adding a stomach-protecting drug such as omeprazole (Prilosec and generic).

Don't stop on your own. That might elevate your risk beyond the original level by making the platelets in the blood more likely to form clots.

Don't mix with related pain relievers. Drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil and generic) or naproxen (Aleve and generic) multiply the risk of stomach problems. So try acetaminophen (Tylenol and generic) instead.

Photo: Fasprin

For more information, see our story on how heart disease is treated.

—Aaron Bailey