Suspending aspirin immediately after a heart attack is not safe

As experts from Einstein Hospital explain, their study is of high quality as no one had done this before with such a robust sample. To understand the importance of the data, it is crucial to comprehend what a heart attack is and why aspirin is an essential part of the treatment. ‘The blood vessels that supply blood to the heart have fatty plaques. On top of this plaque, a clot, a thrombus, can form. And this is what causes the heart attack. In fact, the clot forms abruptly and then abruptly blocks the passage of blood, leading to the heart attack,’ explains Pedro Lemos, a researcher at Einstein who participated in the study. After clearing these vessels, usually through angioplasty with a stent, it is essential to prevent new clots. Doctors prescribe medication that commonly ‘thins the blood’ to achieve this. Following a heart attack, the use of an antiplatelet agent, the technical name for this type of medication, is crucial to keep the vessels open and prevent serious complications. Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the country, according to the Ministry of Health. It is estimated that in Brazil, there are 300,000 to 400,000 cases of heart attacks annually, and for every 5 to 7 cases, there is one death. The current standard treatment after a heart attack combines aspirin with another potent antiplatelet drug (prasugrel or ticagrelor) in an approach known as dual antiplatelet therapy for 12 months. After this period, the stronger medication is discontinued, and aspirin is usually continued for life. Although dual therapy is effective in preventing reinfarction and other complications, it increases the risk of bleeding due to the ‘blood thinning’ effect, ranging from mild manifestations like nosebleeds or bruising from falls to severe events like gastrointestinal or cerebral hemorrhages.