In honor of National Heart Health Month, why not stock your medicine cabinet with a physician favorite? Forget apples. Experts want you to pop an aspirin a day...and they say it could save your life. Aspirin therapy has made quite a name for itself over the years. According to the experts, aspirin therapy not only reduces the risk of damage during heart attacks, it also prevents stroke and future heart problems. Aspirin interferes with the blood's clotting action. If your vessels have started narrowing from the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, then a blood clot can form and block the artery, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Aspirin can reduce the clumping action of platelets. Researchers recommend taking between 80 and 160 mg per day.
But there's a catch. According to Mayoclinic.com, daily aspirin therapy should be considered if you have had a heart attack or stroke, or you're at high risk of either. Consult with your physician before starting an aspirin regimen. Risk factors for heart disease or stroke include smoking, high blood pressure, high total cholesterol levels of 240 or more, an LDL (bad) cholesterol level of 130 or more, lack of exercise, diabetes, stress, consuming one or more alcoholic drink a day, and a family history of stroke or heart attack. People who should not follow daily aspirin therapy include those who have a bleeding or clotting disorder, asthma, stomach ulcers, or heart failure.