Daily aspirin therapy can be a life saving option. But it's not for everyone. 

It's important to get the facts before considering that daily aspirin. UVA's Dr. Brandy Patterson explains in this week's Straight Talk M.D. 

Hi, and welcome to Straight Talk M.D. I'm here today with Dr. Brandy Patterson, a cardiologist at UVA Heart & Vascular Center. Now many older adults take an aspirin to decrease their risk for heart attack and stroke. But a recent study reveals that a daily aspirin therapy may not be recommended for everyone. 

That's right, Casey. Just recently, the results of the ESPRIT trial were released and showed that daily aspirin therapy may actually be more detrimental than beneficial in some healthy people. So just because your spouse or your friends are taking an aspirin doesn't mean that you should start as well. It's very important you talk to your doctor first. 

Yeah. What are some of the current recommendations for daily aspirin therapy? 

Well, daily aspirin therapy is really the most beneficial for those patients who have already had a cardiac event such as a heart attack or stroke. In these instances, aspirin therapy is known as secondary prevention and can help reduce your risk for second occurrence. But if you are a healthy adult who has never had a heart event, aspirin therapy may increase your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Weighing the benefits versus the risk here, aspirin therapy may not be the best option. 

Yeah. And I know a lot of us have heard if you think you might be having a heart attack, you should chew an aspirin immediately. Is that true? 

Again, it depends on the person. So your first move should always be to call 9-1-1 if you think you're having a stroke or a heart attack. The EMS provider will then walk you through your next steps. If you have no allergies or no risk factors for complications of aspirin therapy, then chewing an aspirin can definitely help prevent the formation of blood clots and limit the size of a heart attack or stroke. 

OK. So it sounds like the main takeaway from this is really just talk to your doctor. 

Yeah. That really is the main point. 

Yeah, see what's right for you and what's not. 

Absolutely. 

All right. Well, thank you so much. Thank you for watching. 

Thank you.