Aspirin reduces the risk of death by up to 23 percent if administered when a heart attack is suspected and for 30 days thereafter. The use of aspirin as a heart attack first aid could potentially save 10,000 lives each year. Aspirin helps prevent the aggregation of platelets or blood clotting. Platelets release a prostaglandin called thromboxane. Aspirin’s irreversible prostaglandin blocking ability inhibits the biosynthesis of thromboxane and, consequently, reduces the tendency for blood to clot. This is the reason aspirin should not be used with prescription drugs for anticoagulation (thinning the blood) unless directed by a doctor.
Aspirin reduces the production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which are produced in tissues throughout the body. Prostaglandins have many functions. They are part of the chemical messenger systems involved in feeling pain, fever, the redness and swelling that can accompany injuries, and even in contracting certain muscles, for example, the uterus. Since aspirin lowers the amount of prostaglandins, it can help alleviate conditions like pain, fever and the discomfort of menstrual cramps.