Twelve Percent of Patients Who Receive Prophylactic Aspirin for Primary CVD Prevention Won't Benefit

Risk for primary cardiovascular disease in these patients was too low to outweigh bleeding risks.

Aspirin is recommended for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and for primary prevention of CVD in patients at intermediate-to-high risk, provided that cardiac benefits outweigh bleeding risks. In this analysis of data from a national registry of patients in U.S. outpatient cardiology practices, investigators explored “inappropriate” use of aspirin (defined as aspirin use in patients whose 10-year CVD risk is <6%) in nearly 69,000 patients.

The overall rate of inappropriate aspirin use was 11.6%, but rates varied widely (range, 0%–71.8%) among practices. Results were similar even after excluding older women (age, ≥65) or patients with diabetes. Rates of inappropriate aspirin use declined during the study, from 14.5% in 2008…

Reviewing Author

Kirsten E. Fleischmann, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican College of Cardiology/American Heart Association

Kirsten E. Fleischmann, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican College of Cardiology/American Heart Association

Twelve Percent of Patients Who Receive Prophylactic Aspirin for Primary CVD Prevention Won't Benefit

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Reviewing Author