Aspirin in Cardiovascular Disease: the Pros and Cons

Aspirin is the most widely used long-term antiplatelet therapy, achieving benefits in patients with a range of cardiovascular conditions by blocking one of the blood clotting pathways. It is cheap and relatively safe, despite the possible risks of gastric irritation or bleeding. In this article, we explore what we know about aspirin, together with its pros and cons in patients with cardiovascular disease.