WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN THIS SIMPLE MEDICATION AND THESE SERIOUS CONDITIONS.

Do you, or does someone?you know, take an aspirin?every day to lower the?risk of a heart attack??Heart disease is the No. 1?killer of Americans, and?millions of Americans take?an aspirin every day.

If you have diabetes, your?risk of heart disease is two?to four times greater than?people without diabetes.?Taking an aspirin could?be even more important?for you than for others.

However, there are some?risks in taking aspirin,?and not everyone should?take it. The American?Diabetes Association has?provided a set of guidelines?to help people know if?they should take aspirin.

How does aspirin?lower your risk?of heart disease?

Heart disease starts when?vessels that bring blood to?the heart are damaged by?unhealthy conditions, such?as high blood pressure, high?cholesterol and smoking.?As the damage continues,thick, fatty deposits made?up of cholesterol and?calcium build up inside?the blood vessels, called?plaque. This narrows the?blood vessels and limits?the amount of blood that?can pass through them.
Sometimes one of these?plaques breaks open. When?this happens, a blood clot?can form in the blood?vessel and stop blood?from getting back to the?heart muscle. Without?blood, the heart starts to?die—this is a heart attack.

Aspirin can help stop the?blood clot from forming.?The first thing that happens?when a blood clot forms?is that cells in your blood,?called platelets, stick to the?injured area. This happens?if the injury is a cut on?your finger or if it occurs?inside your blood vessels.

Aspirin works by making?platelets less sticky so they?don’t form a blood clot in?a potentially dangerous?place—such as inside?your blood vessels.

TRUEresult? Blood Glucose Monitoring System

Can taking aspirin?cause problems?

Aspirin can cause some?problems, but the risks are?very small. Because aspirin?makes it harder for your?blood to clot, bleeding may?occur in your blood vessels?as well as other parts of?the body. This is because?aspirin makes it harder ?for?your blood to clot, not just?in blood vessels but also in?other parts of your body.

With any medicine,?there is a balance between?the benefit and the risk?of taking it. With aspirin,?the risk of bleeding is very?low. You won’t bleed to?death if you cut your finger?while making dinner, but if?you’re in a bad car accident,
it may be harder to stop?the bleeding from any?injuries that may occur.

Fortunately, serious?accidents don’t happen?too often, but this is still?a good reason why you?shouldn’t take an aspirin?without first talking with?your healthcare provider.

What do the guidelines?say about who should?take aspirin?

Your healthcare provider?will help you understand?your heart disease risk,?and can decide if you?are a low, medium, or?high risk based on:

• your age

• your gender (men are at?greater risk than women)

• family history of?heart disease

• if you smoke

• other medical problems,?like high cholesterol,?high blood pressure,?diabetes and obesity.

by Robert Ehrman MD