aspirin
Meaning of aspirin: Aspirin is a widely used medication that relieves pain and fever, reduces inflammation, and inhibits platelet clumping to limit blood clot formation.
Definition of aspirin
Aspirin is a medication that relieves pain, reduces fever, and eases inflammation, and belongs to the family of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Its ability to block prostaglandins, substances involved in pain, fever, and inflammation, underlies most of these effects.
At lower doses taken regularly, aspirin also has a distinct antiplatelet effect, meaning it makes platelets less likely to clump together and form a clot. This property is why aspirin is used in certain people at risk of heart attack or stroke, separate from its use as a pain reliever.
Because aspirin's effect on platelets lasts for the life of the platelet rather than wearing off quickly, its blood thinning effect persists for days after a dose, a property relevant when bleeding risk is being considered, such as before a surgical procedure.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The patient was taking daily aspirin as part of a cardiovascular risk reduction plan.
Good to know
Aspirin's antiplatelet effect and its pain relieving effect share the same underlying mechanism but are typically achieved with different amounts of the drug, reflecting its two distinct clinical uses.