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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Does Aspirin Help Blood Platlets ?

does high blood platlets have anything to do with high blood pressure or poor circulation?
posted on Wed, 16 Dec 2009
Twitter Wed, 16 Dec 2009 Answered on
Twitter Wed, 16 Dec 2009 Last reviewed on
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  User's Response
's  Response
NO NO NO - having a high platelet count doesn't make your blood thicker and there really isn't such a thing as a "blood thinner". Those are terms that doctors have used for years to explain anti-clotting drugs to patients in layman's terms. The previous answerer that said that aspirin is an anti-platelet drug that makes platelets less "sticky" is correct. Platelets are little tiny cells (much smaller than a red blood cell) that help your blood to form a clot along with coagulation proteins. Platelets have to be "activated" before they will stick or adhere to an injury site. If you have plaque or an injury in a blood vessel the platelets will adhere to the site and make the site of the plaque bigger constricting blood flow through the vessel making circulation more difficult and creating more resistance which if in an artery causes the heart to have to exert more pressure making blood pressure go up. Platelets that are exposed to aspirin are not able to form a platelet "plug". Sometimes that is good for a person with heart problems and atherosclerosis. Sometimes we want and need the platelets to work if you are having surgery or get hurt or have a stomach ulcer- aspirin can lead to some bleeding problems. So the short answer is that aspirin does not help platelets.
  Anonymous's Response
Anonymous's  Response

Hi... High blood platelets and high blood pressure are totally a different entity.. But high platelet count can cause poor circulation.. Presence of high platelet count can cause clotting of the blood causing blocks in the circulation and thus reducing the blood flow.. And aspirin help in preventing these blocks from happening and can decrease the platelet count to a some extent...
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Does Aspirin Help Blood Platlets ?

NO NO NO - having a high platelet count doesn t make your blood thicker and there really isn t such a thing as a blood thinner . Those are terms that doctors have used for years to explain anti-clotting drugs to patients in layman s terms. The previous answerer that said that aspirin is an anti-platelet drug that makes platelets less sticky is correct. Platelets are little tiny cells (much smaller than a red blood cell) that help your blood to form a clot along with coagulation proteins. Platelets have to be activated before they will stick or adhere to an injury site. If you have plaque or an injury in a blood vessel the platelets will adhere to the site and make the site of the plaque bigger constricting blood flow through the vessel making circulation more difficult and creating more resistance which if in an artery causes the heart to have to exert more pressure making blood pressure go up. Platelets that are exposed to aspirin are not able to form a platelet plug . Sometimes that is good for a person with heart problems and atherosclerosis. Sometimes we want and need the platelets to work if you are having surgery or get hurt or have a stomach ulcer- aspirin can lead to some bleeding problems. So the short answer is that aspirin does not help platelets.