Does aspirin and statins work well in the morning or in the evening?

Aspirin and statins are the basis for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

So when exactly when will these two drugs be effective? There is also a question that everyone is most concerned about, that is, when to take the least side effects?

01 Aspirin

1. What is the role of aspirin?

Low-dose aspirin, that is, about 100 mg of aspirin, is currently the basic drug for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Because aspirin can resist platelet aggregation, it plays a role in preventing blood clots.

Therefore, for patients with clear coronary heart disease, angina, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction (atherosclerotic type), cardiac stents, cardiac bypass, etc., long-term aspirin is needed to prevent thrombosis.

2. Aspirin is divided into two types according to the dosage form

If it is aspirin enteric-coated tablets or enteric-coated aspirin, it is generally recommended to take it on an empty stomach.

Enteric-coated aspirin has a thin film on the surface to ensure that the drug passes smoothly through the stomach, reaches the intestine, and begins to be absorbed.

If you take enteric-coated aspirin after eating, then aspirin enteric-coated tablets will be blocked by food in the stomach and will not easily reach the intestine. The longer you spend in the stomach, the greater the stimulation of aspirin to the stomach and the easier it is to cause stomach damage.

If you eat enteric-coated aspirin on an empty stomach, then the pills will pass through the stomach smoothly and reach the intestine, which will reduce the damage of aspirin to the stomach. Therefore, enteric-coated aspirin is generally recommended to be taken on an empty stomach.

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The other is a common dosage form of aspirin, which is generally recommended to be taken after a meal.

This is also the truth that everyone understands, if this kind of aspirin is taken on an empty stomach, it will quickly decompose in the stomach, then it is easy to cause stomach damage. So take it after a meal, there is food in the stomach, reduce the stimulation of the drug on the stomach.

In short, remember one sentence: enteric-coated aspirin, taken on an empty stomach; regular aspirin, taken after a meal.

3. Do you take it in the morning or at night?

There are currently two theories about whether aspirin is taken on an empty stomach in the morning or on an empty stomach before going to bed at night, each with a certain truth. The guidelines do not give us a clear time point for taking it. So according to personal habits, there is no requirement sooner or later.

4. How to reduce side effects?

Remember that different dosage forms are taken differently, and remember: do not drink alcohol while taking aspirin, so as not to increase the risk of bleeding.

During taking aspirin, pay attention to the color of the stool, if it turns black, see the doctor in time, and do regular review to avoid failing to find side effects of the drug.

02 Statins

1. What is the effect of statins?

Aspirin is actually just a drug, and statin is a large class of drugs, including: simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, pitvastatin and so on.

Statins lower LDL cholesterol, which is "bad cholesterol," and elevate HDL cholesterol, which is "good cholesterol." At the same time, statins can be anti-inflammatory, protect the vascular endothelium; remove vascular endothelial apoptotic cells; stabilize vascular plaque, prevent plaque rupture, and prevent thrombosis.

It is suitable for patients with clear coronary heart disease, angina, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction (atherosclerotic type), cardiac stents, cardiac bypass, etc., and is the golden partner of aspirin.

2. Is statin eaten during the day or at night?

There is a saying that "statin must be eaten at night", which is true. It's okay for everyone to remember this sentence – all statins are eaten before bedtime.

This is because statins lower cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol synthase secreted by the liver.

But this enzyme secreted by the liver has a characteristic, that is, they only come out at night to "go to work".

If you take statin drugs during the day, but the liver does not secrete this enzyme during the day, it will not have a lipid-lowering effect; when the liver wants to secrete this enzyme at night, the blood concentration of statin is reduced, and the result is that it cannot have the effect.

Therefore, only taking statin at night, just in time for the liver to secrete this enzyme, and then inhibited by his sting, and then will not produce more cholesterol, play a lipid-lowering effect.

But not all statins have to be taken at night.

Statins are divided into short-acting statins and also long-acting statins. Short-acting is short-acting time, so it must be taken at night to be effective, such as simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin.

However, the third generation of statin belongs to long-acting statins, including atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitvastatin, so it can be taken during the day. Because even if it is taken during the day, the effect is long and can last until the evening, which can still play a role in inhibiting the liver and can also play the same lipid-lowering effect.

So the third generation of statin, taken during the day and night, has the same effect.

3. How to reduce side effects?

During the period of taking statins, do not drink alcohol so as not to increase the burden on the liver; try not to eat grapefruit.

At the same time, pay attention to the review, the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th months need to draw blood tests, and blood tests should be drawn every year after that: liver function, creatine kinase, blood glucose, and blood lipids.

On the one hand, it is to reduce side effects, on the other hand, it is necessary to find small problems early and solve them as soon as possible, so as not to cause big problems.

In short, for ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, aspirin and statins are a golden pair. However, be sure to follow the doctor's advice and choose the correct time to take it, so as not to have a bad effect and increase the risk of adverse reactions.

Disclaimer: WuXi AppTec's content team focuses on the global biomedical health research process. This article is for informational purposes only and the views expressed herein do not represent the position of WuXi AppTec, nor do they represent WuXi AppTec's support for or opposition to the views expressed herein. This article is also not recommended for treatment options. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.