Prevalence of Aspirin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States: Results From the 2017 National Health Interview Survey.

Abstract

Letters15 October 2019Prevalence of Aspirin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States: Results From the 2017 National Health Interview SurveyColin W. O'Brien, MD, Stephen P. Juraschek, MD, PhD, and Christina C. Wee, MD, MPHColin W. O'Brien, MDHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (C.W.O.)Search for more papers by this author, Stephen P. Juraschek, MD, PhDBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (S.P.J., C.C.W.)Search for more papers by this author, and Christina C. Wee, MD, MPHBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (S.P.J., C.C.W.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M19-0953 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Physicians and medical professional societies have widely supported use of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in persons who are at increased risk (1) (Table 1). Three randomized controlled trials published in 2018—ASCEND (A Study of Cardiovascular Events in Diabetes), ARRIVE (Aspirin to Reduce Risk of Initial Vascular Events), and ASPREE (Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly)—sought to evaluate the benefits and risks of aspirin use for primary prevention of CVD in adults with diabetes, average-risk adults, and older adults, respectively (2–4). Collectively, these studies showed few benefits and consistent bleeding risks. ASCEND studied adults with ...