Stopping aspirin therapy may raise heart attack, stroke risk

Aspirin - cheap and perhaps lifesaving. So read how stopping aspirin therapy may raise heart attack, stroke risk:

Stopping low-dose aspirin therapy without good reason raises the likelihood of heart attack or stroke by nearly 40 percent, a large Swedish study suggests.

Doctors commonly prescribe daily low-dose aspirin after a heart attack to reduce the risk of having a second cardiovascular event. But about one in six patients stop taking their aspirin within three years, the study authors note in Circulation.

“(Low-dose aspirin) makes the platelets in the blood less likely to form blood clots, and this is especially useful in the coronary or carotid arteries, where blood clots may lead to myocardial infarctions and strokes,” lead author Dr. Johan Sundstrom told Reuters Health by email.

There might be a good reason to stop taking aspirin to prevent a stroke, but a discussion with your doctor should happen first.

(Photo from Open Knowledge via Flickr)