But naproxen does not have the cardiac protective effect of aspirin.
That's why I was saying aspirin and only aspirin.

Brief explanation of what aspirin does for the heart: everyone has some
degree of blood vessel narrowing from cholesterol plaques.  When people
get into vascular trouble, the vessel is blocked, or, even worse, a
plaque and/or clot tears loose and winds up blocking a vital blood
vessel, as in the brain or heart.

The strongest chemical known for causing blood vessels is thromboxane,
which is released when platelets rupture.  Now, in the event of major
trauma, platelets rupturing and causing both clotting and clamping down
of the blood supply to the area is a Good Thing.

Having platelets hit a cholesterol plaque, rupturing, and causing
thromboxane-induced clamping down of a relatively normal blood vessel
(i.e., vasoconstriction) is a Bad Thing when it happens, for example, in
the heart.

Aspirin inactivates a partial amount of the thromboxane release system,
enough to desensitize platelets not to burst on plaques, but still be
adequate (maybe extending bleeding a little) to have proper clotting
after a significant injury.  Only aspirin, of the over-the-counter
painkillers, has this effect on platelets. If anyone cares, chemically,
it's because only aspirin has an active acetyl group that links to and
blocks some of the thromboxane precursors.

Yes, if anyone who understands the details is reading, I have simplified
thromboxane A and B forms, etc.

Probably comparable but less sour. Aspirin is a fine drug for people who
can tolerate its effects on the stomach, and don't have other side
effects such as ringing in the ears. It's probably the best fever
reducer.  In general, it should not be used in children under 14 without
specific medical direction.  If you have bleeding disorders (e.g.,
hemophilia) or are expecting surgery or a very hard workout, it probably
should be avoided.

Acetaminophen/paracetamol is apt to be best for headache and for not
upsetting the stomach.  As opposed to the others, it has zero effect on
inflammation. It's safe in children under 14.  There is more and more
data that any alcohol consumption with it is dangerous to the liver.

Ibuprofen and naproxen are the best for preventing as well as treating
menstrual cramps. They are also probably best for muscle pain. At the
over-the-counter dose, naproxen is anti-inflammatory, but you have to
double the dose to get ibuprofen to have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Naproxen needs to be taken less frequently, and is probably a little
more effective. I believe naproxen is still on prescription in Canada,
and I don't know if this is true for other countries.

I keep all three classes around: aspirin for regular cardiac care,
acetaminophen for headaches, and naproxen for inflammation.