Best Time to Take Aspirin to Help Prevent Heart Attack? Nighttime, Researchers Say

A daily dose of aspirin may help to reduce the risk of a heart attack, and a new study found the best time to take the pill is in the evening.

The painkiller is popular among those who are at high risk for heart attacks or strokes, because it thins the blood and prevents clots from forming, according to WebMD.

Until now, it was unclear whether there was a best time of the day to take the aspirin. Now, a new study by Dutch researchers suggests that people who take aspirin at bedtime might get more protection against heart attacks or strokes.

The study, led by Dr. Tobias Bonten, who serves in the department of clinical epidemiology at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, looked at nearly 300 heart attack survivors who were taking aspirin to ward off a second heart attack.

And a major heart conference was told blood cells were least likely to bind dangerously together following a bedtime aspirin.

"Since the 1980s, it's been known that cardiovascular events happen more often in the morning," Bonten said. Taking aspirin at night made it more difficult for the platelets to stick together in the morning. Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that make it clot. Lowered platelet activity, which peaks in the morning, is likely to result in less blood clotting and a reduced risk of heart attacks.

Morning hours are when activity levels of platelets, blood cells that aid in clotting, are at their highest, Bonten said.

However, some doctors say it may be too soon to advise patients to change the time they take their daily aspirin.

"We know aspirin can be vital in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Research into the best time to take a daily dose of aspirin is an interesting idea, but we would need to see much larger and longer studies before a change in practice can be recommended," said Maureen Talbot, of the British Heart Foundation, according to the Daily Mail.

For now, keep taking your daily aspirin as recommended by your doctor. If you have any concerns about your medication, talk it through with your GP."

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's scientific sessions meeting in Dallas, Texas.