Aspirin advice: Coated vs. plain

Ask the doctor

All aspirin blocks substances that protect the cells lining the stomach, which increases the risk of bleeding there. Although enteric-coated aspirin might lead to less stomach irritation, the covering has not been proven to lower the risk of aspirin's most common worrisome side effect — bleeding in the stomach or intestines. No matter where aspirin dissolves, the drug gets into the bloodstream, and once there, it interferes with blood clotting (which is why it helps prevent heart attacks).