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One of the most frequent immediate causes of a heart attack is the formation of a blood clot which blocks the flow of blood in an already-occluded coronary artery. It’s logical, then, to think that preventing excessive clotting could reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. And certainly we’ve all heard about the wisdom of taking an aspirin a day, or every other day, to ward off the potential of a heart attack, especially for those who have already had an event.

The proof of efficacy came from a study in which 22,000 doctors took either one 350 mg aspirin tablet or a placebo every other day. Those taking the aspirin rather than the placebo had nearly 50 per cent fewer heart attacks. In fact, the study was cut short because the benefits of the aspirin regimen were so obvious. That project began in 1982 and was to run until 1990; but when the data were monitored in 1988, preliminary results showed “extreme beneficial effects on nonfatal and fatal myocardial infarction”. The researchers decided those findings had to be shared with the wot Id immediately.

Virtually all physicians and researchers agree on the benefits of aspirin in terms of preventing another heart attack. We now have evidence of effectiveness for both men and women. The only question is whether to take it daily or every other day. That will be your doctor’s decision, based on your individual medical history and specific considerations. In no case, however, should you decide that if one is good, two must be better. Indeed, that could be harmful.

Especially if you have had bypass surgery, your doctor may have prescribed the drug Persantin (dipyridamole). Like aspirin, this medication is an antiplatelet agent used to prevent clotting. That’s particularly important after the surgery to keep the grafted vessels open and flowing. Your doctor may decide to discontinue the Persantin after a period of time.

Take Persantin an hour before meals unless your doctor prescribes otherwise. Other medications may increase or decrease the effects of Persantin. For this reason, don’t take anything at all without talking with your doctor first. That’s particularly true for preparations containing additional amounts of aspirin.

The third drug in this category is Anturan (sulphinpyrazone). Its purpose and special considerations are similar to those of aspirin and Persantin.

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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol