How does immediate administration of aspirin help someone with a MI?

Question

Is it prophylaxis for further assault or does it do anything to actually stop the MI on this tracks?

Answer 1

Cut and pasted from an academic paper: UK

Aspirin, used in the prevention of heart attacks, is probably the most cost-effective drug available in medical practice and daily low-dose aspirin is now a standard item in the management of heart disease patients. There is evidence that aspirin, taken during a heart attack, can reduce the size of the thrombus (clot) causing the attack [1,2] and may even cause the platelets in the clot to disperse [3,4]. Aspirin also has effects on processes other than clotting [5,6], suggesting that if taken very early in an attack, the damage to the heart could be reduced and additional lives saved. Patients known to be at risk of a heart attack, including all persons over about 50 years of age, would be well advised to carry a few tablets of soluble aspirin at all times, and chew and swallow a tablet immediately, if they experience severe chest pain,even as they are phoning for an ambulance.

Refs.<br />
1.Col NF, Yasrzbski J, Gore JM et al. 1995<br />
2.Garcia-Dorado D, Therous P, Tornos P et al 1995<br />
3.Gelman JS, Mehta J. 1985.<br />
4.Roald HE, Sakariassen KS. 1995.<br />
5.Bjornsson TD, Schneider DE, Berger H 1989<br />
6.Moschos CB, Haider B, de la Cruz C et al 1978