A middle-aged man in his 50s, after being diagnosed with coronary heart disease, took aspirin as prescribed by his doctor for treatment. But he saw that aspirin would cause many adverse reactions, so he asked Huazi how long his aspirin needed to eat, could he stop it, and what if there was an adverse reaction?
Huazi told him that for patients with coronary heart disease, aspirin needs to be taken for life and cannot be stopped. Adverse reactions to aspirin are small-probability events, and mastering the correct method of taking them can alleviate the adverse effects of aspirin or switch to other antiplatelet drugs.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="3" > coronary heart disease that cannot be completely cured</h1>
If coronary heart disease is diagnosed, it means that the narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart has exceeded 50%, and the cause of coronary artery stenosis is atherosclerosis.
Cholesterol in the blood enters the lining of the arteries, is engulfed by macrophages, and is converted into foam cells deposited together to form the lipid core of the plaque. As the disease progresses, the plaque becomes larger and larger, the blood vessels become narrow, and blood flow is restricted.
The process of atherosclerosis cannot be reversed, and the plaque grows in the arterial lining, and with the current medical technology, there is no way to remove the plaque without destroying the arterial lining. Therefore, once coronary heart disease occurs, it cannot be completely cured.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="28" > Second, the biggest danger of coronary heart disease is plaque rupture</h1>
As the plaque grows, the degree of coronary artery stenosis will become higher and higher, affecting the blood supply to the heart, but this is not the biggest risk for patients with coronary heart disease. Because plaque growth is a very slow process, it can take decades, or even decades, from plaque formation to cause severe coronary stenosis. As long as it is treated in time, it can delay or stop the progression of plaque.
The greatest danger of coronary heart disease is the rupture of plaques. The plaque has a lipid core inside, the surface is covered with a layer of fiber caps, and the structure is not stable. Under the condition of arterial contraction, spasm, and blood flow, plaque may rupture.
The surface of the plaque rupture can induce platelets to accumulate, form blood clots, block coronary arteries, and cause myocardial infarction.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="29" >3, aspirin can inhibit platelet aggregation</h1>
In the formation of myocardial infarction, platelet aggregation is a key link. And aspirin irreversibly inhibits the aggregation function of platelets, so taking aspirin can effectively prevent the occurrence of myocardial infarction.
The human body generates about 15% of new platelets every day, so aspirin needs to be taken every day to inhibit newly generated platelets in order to maintain the effect of preventing myocardial infarction. There are studies that if the drug is discontinued for more than 48 hours, the protective effects of aspirin disappear.
Coronary heart disease cannot be completely cured, and the risk of myocardial infarction will always exist, so patients with coronary heart disease need to take aspirin for life for antiplatelet therapy.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="30" >4. Main adverse reactions to taking aspirin</h1>
Many people are worried about long-term aspirin use, what to do if there are adverse reactions? Huazi said that about 10% of people who take aspirin will have adverse reactions, and most people can tolerate them well without obvious adverse reactions.
The main adverse effect of aspirin is leading to damage to the digestive tract. The cause of the damage is that aspirin reduces the defensive effect of the digestive tract mucosa, resulting in the digestive tract mucosa being attacked by the gastric acid and pepsin secreted by itself. Another adverse effect is that aspirin weakens coagulation, potentially inducing blood disorders.
Both of these adverse reactions are associated with the pharmacological effects of aspirin, so when using aspirin, it cannot be completely avoided, but there can be ways to reduce the occurrence.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="31" >5. How to reduce the adverse effects of aspirin</h1>
1. Only when there are indications can it be used: it must be evaluated by a doctor before taking the drug, and it can only be applied when the benefits of the drug are greater than the risks. Those who already have digestive tract diseases should be cautious in using drugs.
2. Do not overdose: the use of small doses of aspirin (75mg ~ 150mg) can play a role in inhibiting platelets and preventing myocardial infarction, do not overdose.
3. Radical treatment of Helicobacter pylori: check before treatment, if there is Helicobacter pylori infection, it is necessary to carry out radical treatment first, and then start taking medicine.
4, control blood pressure: many people are worried that taking aspirin will cause cerebral hemorrhage, but in fact, the main cause of cerebral hemorrhage is high blood pressure. People who take aspirin need to keep their blood pressure below 160mmHg.
5. Combined with gastric mucosal protective drugs: when taking aspirin, those who have a potential risk of gastrointestinal damage can be combined with anti-gastric acid production drugs and gastric mucosal protective drugs to reduce the adverse reactions of aspirin.
6. Replace other antiplatelet drugs: If there is a serious adverse reaction that cannot be tolerated when taking aspirin, it can be replaced by other antiplatelet drugs.
7. Adverse reaction monitoring: During the medication, it is necessary to pay attention to whether there is abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, hematemesis, black stool, etc., as well as whether there is subcutaneous bruising, bleeding gums, etc., and it is found that it is necessary to seek medical examination in time.
To sum up, once coronary heart disease occurs, it cannot be completely cured and requires continuous medication to control the disease. Aspirin can resist platelet aggregation and is a key drug to prevent acute myocardial infarction, and it needs to be taken regularly and cannot be stopped. The use of aspirin may have adverse reactions, and appropriate methods under the guidance of a doctor can reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. If you have any questions about medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist. I am a pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.