Low dose aspirin best for heart

Long-term aspirin therapy, with doses greater than 75 to 81 mg per day, does not protect against heart disease, but increases the risk of stomach bleeding. Researchers from the University of Kentucky in Lexington reported that over 50 million adults in the US are on long-term aspirin therapy for heart disease prevention, yet the optimal daily dose is still a point of controversy. To determine the safest, most effective dose, they performed a review of relevant studies identified through a search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE medical databases. It was found that while aspirin doses as high as 1300 mg per day are approved for clinical use, scientific data indicate that doses as low as 30 mg per day provide the full physiologic effect of higher doses. The most commonly prescribed dose in the US is 81 mg per day and then 325 mg per day. Previous studies, primarily those focusing on preventing repeat heart attacks, indicate that use of aspirin doses above 75 to 81 mg per day do not increase effectiveness, but it do raise the risk of stomach bleeding. An association between increase in aspirin dose and risk of adverse events has been confirmed in multiple studies, whereas no such dose relationship has been identified for efficacy. In the future, aspirin as an anti-platelet therapy will most likely be tailored for the individual patient.