Which is a healthier pain reliever to take regularly: ibuprofen or aspirin?

[Ambrose]

I know it's supposed to be good for your heart and blood to take aspirin rather than ibuprofen, but I've always preferred ibuprofen, for some reason. Which is the smarter choice?

[the crusader]

Whichever one works to help control your pain is the smarter choice for you. It is tru that aspirin is an anticoagulent. Taking low-dose aspiring daily will decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke. However, if you are purely taking a pill for a headache or other body ache, then choose whatever you like best. Yes, both Ibuprofen and aspirin increase your chances of stomach upset and bleeding, but that's if your either already have stomach issues or take them on a daily basis or take too much (more than regular dosage).

[tinmuning]

First, analgesics are to be taken as needed only. You are not advised to take analgesics regularly without doctor's advice. You may encounter severe gastric problems if you do so. Even other analgesics which are said to be "stomach-friendlier" such as narcotic agonist/antagonist drugs & selective COX-2 inhibitors are still not fully suitable for long-term management of severe pain. In case what you have is chronic pain which you think justifies taking analgesics for a long time, the best management would still be a combination of drug therapy, life-style modification, and other treatment modalities.