Status of aspirin prescription for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases among general practitioners in Beijing

Abstract

Objective To assess the current status of aspirin use in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases among general practitioners in Beijing. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted from September 2014 to January 2015 among 60 000 patients visiting general practice clinics in 60 community health service centers in Beijing. The questionnaire on the aspirin use for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease was designed by Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA). Results Total 56 969 valid questionnaires were retrieved with a recovery rate of 94.9%. Total 39 424 participants met the criteria for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, including 13 177 for primary prevention(33.42%)and 26 247 for secondary prevention(66.58%). Among 39 424 patients, 29 952 received aspirin for prevention (75.97%), the rate of aspirin use for primary prevention was 70.52%(9 293/13 177) and for secondary prevention was 78.71%(20 659/26 247). The rates of aspirin use for primary and secondary prevention were increased with the age, and those aged ≥60 years had the highest rate (72.66% and 80.06%, respectively). After adjusted by age and gender, general practitioners preferred to prescribed aspirin for primary prevention in patients with hypertension or diabetes(P<0.001)and for secondary prevention in patients with hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesteremia, smoking, hyperuricemia and obesity (all P<0.05). Conclusion Prescription rate of aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular disease among general practitioners in Beijing is generally high, especially for secondary prevention. Key words: Aspirin; General practitioners; Questionnaires