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Q:I’ve heard that if you think you’re having a heart attack you should chew an aspirin. Is that really any better than swallowing one whole?

It is. Most heart attacks occur when plaque in a coronary artery ruptures. The rupture attracts platelets, tiny cells in the blood that trigger clotting. As the clot builds up, it blocks the artery, depriving the heart muscle of oxygen. That’s what causes a heart attack. Aspirin helps by interfering with the platelets and preventing that clot from getting any bigger.

Researchers have tested how long it takes for aspirin to be absorbed and how quickly it impacts platelet activity. In 1999, doctors from the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center asked 12 volunteers to take an aspirin either by chewing it, swallowing it whole or drinking Alka-Seltzer. They took blood samples at various intervals to see how quickly the aspirin was taking effect.

Chewing the tablet for 30 seconds and then swallowing it with 4 ounces of water worked the fastest, cutting platelet activity in half within five minutes. Taking Alka-Seltzer, which contains aspirin, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, took nearly eight minutes while swallowing it took 12 minutes.

A 2006 a study by doctors at two Texas military hospitals found similar results: Chewed aspirin tablets or Alka-Seltzer achieved platelet inhibition about two and a half minutes faster than swallowing a tablet whole.

Other research has shown that aspirin can reduce the risk of death from a heart attack by 23 percent. That’s why anyone who suspects a heart attack should call 911 and then reach for an aspirin.

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