High and low dose aspirin can protect heart

Washington, March 27 (IANS) Aspirin can prevent heart attacks, both in high and low doses, says a new study.

The World Health Organisation's latest figures show that 17 million people die every year from cardiovascular diseases. Nearly all patients are prescribed a daily aspirin and an antiplatelet medication during recovery.

"We observed no difference between patients taking a high dose versus a low of aspirin as it relates to cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke or stent thrombosis," said Payal Kohli, cardiology fellow at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, who led the study.

"Interestingly, we did find a dramatic difference in practice patterns of physicians in North America compared to those in the rest of the world," Kohli said, according to a Brigham statement.

"North American physicians prescribed a high dose of aspirin for two-thirds of all their patients, while the exact reverse was true of the rest of the world," added Kohli.

International physicians prescribed a low dose of aspirin to more than two-thirds of their patients, said Stephen D. Wiviott, Brigham cardiologist and researcher and study co-author.

Researchers based their findings on analysis of more than 1,100 patients from around the world, enrolled in the TRITON-TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) 38 trial. These findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions.