Aspirin is a drug that is found in plants across the world, and has been used as a medicine for thousands of years – Hippocrates wrote that chewing the bark of a willow tree could reduce pain and fever around 350BC.
It really is a wonder drug: a pain killer which also reduces fever, with proven benefits in reducing heart attack, and also stroke and possibly some cancers.
You might remember your mum telling you to gargle with aspirin if you have a sore throat – mine did! I say the same to patients but spit, don’t swallow. It’s only a mild pain killer so paracetamol and ibuprofen are more effective for most pains.
Whilst the benefits of aspirin for reducing heart attack risk has been identified since the 40s, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded in 1982 to the scientists who identified why – aspirin inhibits the production of a hormone which causes blood clots (that can cause heart attack and stroke). It’s also really cheap – a packet can cost under £1.
It can cause stomach problems as it irritates the lining of the stomach, so if you have stomach issues your doctor would probably prescribe a drug to reduce stomach acid if they decided that you should take aspirin regularly.
If you’re over 50, and have a family history of heart attack/ stroke – do talk to your doctor about whether aspirin could be of benefit to you.