Low-Dose Aspirin for Heart Protection: How Low Should a Safe Dose Be?

Daily aspirin protects the heart, but the dose at which this can be safely accomplished has never been established. It has long been known that the risks of aspirin—gastrointestinal or brain hemorrhage—cannot be completely eliminated even at the lowest possible doses. An international team of researchers recently determined that daily doses of aspirin as low as 30 mg are adequate for achieving the anti-clotting goal; whereas doses higher than 75 to 81 mg merely increase the risk of adverse reactions without providing any additional advantage.

Low dose asprin

Clinical implications: The indications for low dose ASA (e.g. 80 mg.) to prevent cardiovascular events are the same for patients with normal and elevated blood pressure; low dose ASA is recommended in patients with proven cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention), but not in those without cardiovascular disease (primary prevention).⁷