When is aspirin used for preventing and treating heart attacks and strokes?
Aspirin is widely used either alone or in combination with other antiplatelet agents to prevent blood clots from forming in arteries. Aspirin is used specifically in several situations including: • Aspirin often is prescribed in moderate doses (160-325 mg/day) for patients who are having heart attacks to limit the extent of damage to the heart’s muscle (by preventing blood clot formation in the blood vessels of the heart), prevent additional heart attacks, and improve survival. • Aspirin often is prescribed to patients undergoing surgery to open or bypass blocked arteries, including percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with or without placement of coronary stents and coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Aspirin also is prescribed on a long-term basis to prevent clotting in the stents and/or the bypassed blood vessels. • Aspirin often is prescribed in low doses (75-160 mg/day) on a long-term basis to patients with prior heart attacks or strokes and to patients with TI
