Should aspirin be taken on an empty stomach or after meals?
Long-term aspirin use may cause gastrointestinal damage in some patients. This damage results from both local and systemic effects. Locally, aspirin directly irritates the digestive tract mucosa, damaging the gastric lining and compromising the intestinal mucosal barrier.Systemic effects involve reduced prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins regulate gastrointestinal blood flow and stimulate mucus and bicarbonate synthesis and secretion, thereby protecting the gastric mucosa.
When taking enteric-coated aspirin tablets, their acid-resistant coating protects the medication from dissolution in the stomach's acidic environment. This allows for gradual release and absorption in the alkaline environment of the small intestine, thereby reducing direct irritation to the gastric mucosa and minimizing gastrointestinal side effects. Therefore, enteric-coated aspirin tablets are recommended to be taken on an empty stomach.Additionally, taking it on an empty stomach shortens the time the tablet remains in the stomach, allowing it to reach the small intestine more efficiently for absorption. This avoids prolonged stomach residence and associated gastrointestinal side effects. However, if you are using regular aspirin tablets rather than enteric-coated ones, this protective mechanism is absent. Such aspirin should be taken after meals.
What exactly do "on an empty stomach" and "after meals" mean?
Taking medication on an empty stomach refers to 1 hour before eating or 2 hours after eating. Taking medication after meals does not mean immediately after eating, but rather 15-30 minutes after finishing a meal.
Should aspirin be taken in the morning or evening?
This question remains inconclusive. Some experts suggest evening dosing to counteract higher platelet viscosity and increased thrombosis risk, maximizing aspirin's antiplatelet effects. Others advocate morning dosing to prevent cardiovascular events, which are more likely to occur in the morning.
Aspirin exerts its antiplatelet effect by irreversibly inhibiting cyclooxygenase. This effect persists throughout the platelet's lifespan (approximately 10 days), meaning once activated, the antiplatelet action is continuous. Therefore, aspirin can be taken at any time of day (morning, noon, or evening). The key is to take it consistently at the same time each day.
Can aspirin be broken before taking?
Most enteric-coated aspirin tablets should not be broken, as their coating protects the stomach lining. Breaking the tablet damages this protective layer, rendering the enteric coating ineffective. For higher doses, switch to smaller-sized enteric-coated aspirin tablets.
When should it be chewed?
Chewing is required during self-rescue for myocardial infarction. Proper pre-hospital emergency care is a key factor in reducing mortality from heart attacks. Households with individuals over 50 or those with coronary heart disease should keep aspirin readily available and carry it when going out.
Typical symptoms of myocardial infarction include pain in the center or left side of the sternum, accompanied by a sense of impending doom or pressure, potentially along with sweating and nausea.When suspecting a myocardial infarction, immediately chew and swallow 300 mg of aspirin and call emergency services. Chewing the enteric-coated aspirin tablet allows it to disintegrate rapidly, accelerating absorption and enabling faster antiplatelet effects. Additionally, chewing aspirin before coronary stenting procedures can facilitate its rapid onset of action.