Is one aspirin a good pre-dive idea?

[Blazinator]

I'm in my mid forties, just recently checked Cholesterol, and its high (257) am 6'-0" and 210 lbs, and I eat somewhat healthy no red meat, lots of salads and veggies and cutting all yoke out of my eggs now and doc says that my high cholestorol is partially hereditary cuz I eat somewhat healthy, although I need more excercise since the winter shut-in period (walk alot every day at work and on weekends).

Anyway, I was thinking about some diving accidents from underwater heart attacks maybe due to physical stresses, and I thought that maybe a good preventative might be one aspirin before a dive.

If anything, this would help circulation a bit with the thinner blood.

Any thoughts?

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Blazinator,

Might want to start by reading this thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/256344-aspirin-diving.html

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Rhone Man]

I have read a few articles on this over the years, and the upshot seems to be a shrug of the shoulders and "it doesn't seem to hurt".

 

[huzenhagen]

I'm in my mid forties, just recently checked Cholesterol, and its high (257) am 6'-0" and 210 lbs, and I eat somewhat healthy no red meat, lots of salads and veggies and cutting all yoke out of my eggs now and doc says that my high cholestorol is partially hereditary cuz I eat somewhat healthy, although I need more excercise since the winter shut-in period (walk alot every day at work and on weekends).

Anyway, I was thinking about some diving accidents from underwater heart attacks maybe due to physical stresses, and I thought that maybe a good preventative might be one aspirin before a dive.

If anything, this would help circulation a bit with the thinner blood.

Any thoughts?

Aspirin is used quite a lot in people who are at high risk of a heart attack. However this is normally a constant regime so i'm very skeptical of the benefits of one just before a dive. Probably not going to do any damage though.

 

[DocVikingo]

Aspirin is used quite a lot in people who are at high risk of a heart attack. However this is normally a constant regime so i'm very skeptical of the benefits of one just before a dive. Probably not going to do any damage though.

Hi Huzenhagen,

Onset of asprin's anti-platelet activity is relatively rapid after ingestion (preferably chewed if time is short). An aspirin taken ~30-mins prior to a dive will provide pretty close to maximum benefit in this regard.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[huzenhagen]

Hi Huzenhagen,

Onset of asprin's anti-platelet activity is relatively rapid after ingestion (preferably chewed if time is short). An aspirin taken ~30-mins prior to a dive will provide pretty close to maximum benefit in this regard.

Regards,

DocVikingo

thanks, my pharm-fu is way weak after nearly a year in the lab taking a break from medicine to doing my bsc in neuroscience

 

[DocVikingo]

An aspirin taken ~30-mins prior to a dive will provide pretty close to maximum benefit in this regard.

Lest this be misinterpreted, it does not mean an aspirin before each dive on a multi-dive day. One pill at the beginning of the dive day largely will provide whatever benefit you're going to get.

Also, taking aspirin is not a substitute for such anti-DCS actions as staying very well hydrated, regular exercise and maintaining good physical fitness, diving nitrox and diving conservative profiles.

Regards,

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

 

[Blazinator]

Thank you everyone for the informative replys and Thanks Doc for the link to the more in-depth threads.

This has been a good reminder to drink lots of water pre-dive too, and ramp up my excercise routines.

 

[Abaco24]

walking 3 miles a day or more is a great low impact cardio workout. I also started doing laps when my daughters are at swim practice at the other end of the pool with my fins and mask

 

[TSandM]

An aspirin a day wouldn't be a bad regimen for someone as described. Aspirin is one of the few interventions that has been shown to have a significant effect on mortality in the face of a heart attack. It's not going to prevent DCS, but it may well prevent or ameliorate any cardiac event, whether it occurs diving or not.