Hi ryabushkin,
That's a very interesting question but I'm afraid the answer is not as
interesting. In short, 81mg is a convenient dose based on a children's
aspirin (in North America) and a children's aspirin (81mg) is an adult
aspirin (325mg) split four ways. In fact, 81mg isn't a magic figure at
all and some doctors prescribe 60mg or 75 mg as being just as
effective as 81mg. Interestingly, in the UK, a "junior aspirin" is
150mg and a low dose aspirin there is considered to be half of that,
or 75mg. The amount you are prescribed seems to depend more on your
geographic location than anything, and can range anywhere from 300mg
to 60mg, or even less - North Americans take the highest dosage while
Europeans the lowest. If you are on a regime of low dose aspirin, you
could save a few dollars by buying adult aspirin and splitting it
(pill splitters are available and make the task *much* easier).
How much aspirin should you take?
"Physicians know that most people with coronary artery disease benefit
from taking aspirin every day, unless contraindicated. Most doctors
recommend one baby aspirin, 81 milligrams (mg), or one adult aspirin,
325 mg, daily following a heart attack.
In the Jan. 12, 2002, issue of the British Medical Journal, an Oxford
University study found that a dose between 75 mg and 150 mg works just
as well and is less likely to cause internal bleeding. A U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force study published Jan. 15, 2002, in the
Annals of Internal Medicine found that about 75 mg a day appeared just
as effective as higher doses."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ00269
"The CURE protocol recommended a daily aspirin dose between 75 mg and
325 mg. In the present analysis, aspirin use was divided into three
groups; less than or equal to 100 mg., 101 through 199 mg., and 200
mg. or greater. Among the study participants, 5,320 received a low
dose of aspirin, 3,109 took the medium dose, and 4,110 got a high
dose.
Peters noted that there is no uniformity in the aspirin doses used in
clinical practice.
Within each participating institution, aspirin dosage didn?t vary
significantly, but across geographic regions the range was much
larger, he said. The highest dose was most common in Canada and the
United States, while researchers in Latin America were the second most
likely to use a high-dose aspirin regimen. The medium doses were used
in Australia and New Zealand, and the lowest doses were used in
Eastern and Western Europe."
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3015512
A low dose is all that is required:
"The dose of aspirin required to make the blood less sticky is very
small. In fact half a junior aspirin (75mg) is all that is required
and more is not better in this case. This low dose is unlikely to
cause indigestion."
http://www.ridgeway-surgery.demon.co.uk/newslett/aspirin.htm
"The researchers suggested that the optimal daily aspirin dose for
reducing acute coronary syndromes (ACS) may be between 75 and 100 mg."
http://www.obgyn.net/newsheadlines/headline_medical_news-Angina-20031015-1.asp
"When you split a 325 mg tablet 4 ways that is a perfect 81 mg children's aspirin."
http://www.diabetes-forums.com/support/Aspirin_249687.html
I hope I've answered your question, but if you have any questions,
please post a clarification request before closing/rating my answer.
Thank you,
hummer
Medline Search Terms Used:
low dose aspirin
Google Search Terms Used:
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