Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and it is the underlying or contributing cause in over half of the deaths that occur each year.

In 2002, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) strongly recommended that clinicians discuss the use of aspirin with adults who are at increased risk of heart disease. In the March 17, 2009 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers report on additional evidence supporting the updated aspirin recommendations just released by the USPSTF .

Researchers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in Rockville, Maryland and New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell in New York City analyzed the existing body of evidence on aspirin to determine the benefits and harms of taking aspirin to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and death. They found that aspirin use reduces the number of cardiovascular events in patients without known coronary heart disease. More specifically, they concluded that aspirin reduces the risk for heart attacks in men and strokes in women. However, aspirin does not seem to affect cardiovascular disease-related deaths or all-cause death in either men or women.

Regarding the harms of aspirin, the researchers found that the use of aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular events in patients without known heart disease increases the risk of major bleeding events. They conclude that the overall benefit in prevention of heart attacks and strokes depends on the individual's baseline risk for cardiovascular disease and GI bleeding.

Source

Ann Intern Med 2009;150:405-410.