Utility of Aspirin in Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events

Low-dose aspirin had no benefit in older Japanese patients with risk factors.

Aspirin has been the mainstay of cardiovascular treatment for over a century, but its role in primary prevention is uncertain in certain populations. The Japanese Primary Prevention Project was a multicenter, open-label trial to determine whether low-dose aspirin reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events in older patients with multiple atherosclerotic risk factors. More than 14,000 people aged 60 to 85 with hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes mellitus were randomized to 100 mg aspirin daily or no aspirin and were followed for up to 6.5 years. The primary outcome was the composite of death from cardiovascular causes (myocardial infarction [MI], stroke, and other cardiovascular causes), nonfatal stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic, inclu…

Reviewing Author

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

Utility of Aspirin in Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events

Topics

Reviewing Author