ASPIRIN DURING A HEART ATTACK: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Be sure to always carry a full-strength 325 mg aspirin tablet, not a baby (81 mg) aspirin; do not use coated aspirin

From Harvard Health Letters

Jewish World Review
March 29, 2013

Chewing an aspirin tablet during the first symptoms of what could be a heart attack can save your life. But in order for it to work properly, you must understand which kind of aspirin to take, and how to take it.

WHY?
A heart attack is usually the result of a blood clot in a coronary artery that blocks blood flow. Aspirin inhibits the formation of a clot and helps restore blood flow.

WHAT?
Chewing one regular-strength adult 325-milligram (mg) aspirin, and swallowing it, should be sufficient. Avoid coated aspirins, as they are absorbed slowly. If you normally take an 81-mg aspirin (baby aspirin) as part of your daily aspirin therapy to prevent cardiac events, you'll still want the full-size 325-mg version to take during a heart attack.

HOW?
If you're over 50, and surely if you have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease, always carry an aspirin tablet in a small pillbox in your pocket or purse. Chewing an uncoated aspirin and swallowing it quickly will speed the medicine through your bloodstream. If you're wrong, and you're not having a heart attack, the one aspirin won't hurt you. If you're already taking low-dose daily aspirin, you still should chew a regular-strength aspirin at the first signs of a possible heart attack.

WHEN?
Chew the aspirin as soon as you realize you may be having a heart attack. Also call 911. Don't ever try to drive yourself to the hospital if you think you're having a heart attack. If possible, have a list available for emergency personnel detailing all the medications you take and other health information.