Aspirin low dose how much

Tens of millions of people in the United States fall into that low-to-moderate-risk category. But until now, there weren't many large trials that included those people, he notes.

To continue reading this article, you must log in. Already a member? Login ». As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Get help understanding heart attack and stroke risks in under 2 minutes, and get a downloadable guide you can take to the doctor.

Learn more by clicking on a product below. Use as directed. Back and body pain reliever, mg aspirin with caffeine. The clot prevents blood flow to the heart and causes a heart attack. Aspirin therapy reduces the clotting action of platelets — possibly preventing a heart attack. Take daily aspirin therapy only under the advice of your health care provider. Before starting the therapy, tell your health care provider if you have a health condition that could increase your risk of bleeding or other complications.

Daily aspirin therapy may not be a good choice if you have:. Your health care provider will likely discuss what aspirin dose is right for you. Low doses of aspirin — such as 75 to milligrams mg , but most commonly 81 mg —can be effective at preventing heart attack or stroke. Health care providers usually prescribe a daily dose between 75 mg and mg a regular-strength tablet.

If your health care provider has told you to take an aspirin every day, contact him or her before stopping it. If you've had a heart attack or a stent placed in one or more of your heart arteries, it's important to keep taking daily aspirin and any blood-thinning medications exactly as directed by your health care provider. Stopping daily aspirin therapy can have a rebound effect that may trigger a blood clot and lead to a heart attack. If you need to take ibuprofen or other NSAIDs, talk to your health care provider about alternatives that won't interfere with daily aspirin therapy, such as acetaminophen Tylenol, others.

If you're taking aspirin and you need surgery or dental work, be sure to let the surgeon or dentist know so they can take steps to prevent excessive bleeding. Don't stop taking aspirin without talking to your health care provider. Combining aspirin with a prescription blood-thinning medication anticoagulant may greatly increase the risk of major bleeding. Anticoagulants include:. Sometimes, it may be appropriate to combine a low-dose aspirin with warfarin or another anticoagulant.

Such combination therapy always needs to be carefully discussed with your health care provider. Certain herbal and dietary supplements can also increase the bleeding risk when combined with aspirin.

These include:. Drinking alcohol while on daily aspirin therapy may increase the risk of stomach bleeding. Talk to your health care provider about how much alcohol is safe to drink. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.

Taking aspirin during a heart attack is safe and recommended. If you think you're having a heart attack, call or emergency medical services.

Don't delay calling for help. Aspirin alone won't save your life if you're having a heart attack. When you call for help, the emergency operator may tell you to chew an aspirin, but will first ask if you have an aspirin allergy or other health conditions that would make taking an aspirin unsafe. It's OK to chew an aspirin if your health care provider has previously told you to do so if you think you're having a heart attack — but always call or emergency medical services first. Coated aspirin is also called enteric-coated aspirin.

It is designed to pass through the stomach and not dissolve until it reaches the small intestine. Coated aspirin may be gentler on the stomach and may be appropriate for some people who take a daily aspirin, especially those with a history of gastrointestinal inflammation or ulcers.

But there's no evidence that taking coated aspirin decreases the chance of developing gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, coated aspirin may not work as well as plain aspirin when taken at the time of a possible heart attack. Talk to your health care provider if you're concerned about ways to decrease your bleeding risk.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you.

If we combine this information with your PHI, we will treat all of that information as PHI, and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.