About ten years ago I, a 74-year-old man, underwent open heart surgery after a heart attack. The cardiologist prescribed me two aspirin tablets a day for life. The doctor has reduced this amount to one tablet per day. Is this suddenly a different insight?
husband (74)
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
The benefits of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) after a heart attack have been shown in many studies. A lot of research has also been done on the optimal dosage, which is between 75 and 150 mg per day. I assume you are taking 80 mg tablets; then you are with one tablet in between and with two slightly above it. The guideline of the general practitioners prescribes that one tablet is sufficient.
Too much aspirin increases the risk of bleeding, and as you get older, the risk of bleeding increases anyway. When you had just had the stroke, the cardiologist probably wanted to play it safe about the risk of another stroke. Your doctor probably thinks: the heart has been doing well for a long time and it would be a shame if bleeding occurs somewhere. So he works according to the guidelines.
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