Aspirin vs Nitroglycerin: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Aspirin | Nitroglycerin | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug, Platelet Aggregation Inhibitor | Nitrate Vasodilator |
| Brand names | Cardiaspirin Protect | – |
| FAERS reports | 533,828 | 53,297 |
| Serious | 71% | 79% |
| Death outcome | 48,985 | 7,013 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Aspirin | Nitroglycerin | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coronary artery disease | 5,917 · PRR 9.2 | 1,403 · PRR 18.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Likely indication confounding |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 1,442 · PRR 17.2 | 400 · PRR 36.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Angina unstable | 1,372 · PRR 10.1 | 417 · PRR 26.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Coronary arterial stent insertion | 905 · PRR 8.3 | 236 · PRR 19.2 | Not in label — unassessed / Likely indication confounding |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 760 · PRR 16.5 | 227 · PRR 38.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Ischaemic cardiomyopathy | 598 · PRR 9.2 | 205 · PRR 27.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 581 · PRR 9.0 | 161 · PRR 21.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Radiculopathy | 364 · PRR 6.1 | 209 · PRR 33.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder | 349 · PRR 18.5 | 101 · PRR 40.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Aspirin
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Labeled signals distinctive to Nitroglycerin
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Aspirin or Nitroglycerin?
Aspirin has 533,828 FAERS reports and Nitroglycerin 53,297. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (71% vs 79%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Aspirin and Nitroglycerin share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for coronary artery disease, nephrogenic anaemia, angina unstable, coronary arterial stent insertion, hyperparathyroidism secondary. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Aspirin or Nitroglycerin safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.