Aspirin in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

More than a century after its synthesis, daily aspirin, given at a low dose, is a milestone treatment for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Its role in primary prevention of CVD is still debated. Older randomized controlled trials showed that aspirin reduced the low incidence of myocardial infarction but correspondingly increased the low incidence of serious gastrointestinal bleeds without altering mortality. More recent trials see the benefit attenuated, perhaps obscured by other cardioprotective practices, while the bleeding risk remains, especially in older patients. Indirect evidence, both preclinical and clinical, suggests that aspirin may protect against sporadic colorectal cancer and perhaps other cancers. However, further studies are still necessary to warrant the consumption of aspirin for primary prevention of CVD and cancer by apparently healthy individuals.

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Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular outcomes in diabetes mellitus: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

European Journal of Preventive Cardiology ◽

10.1177/2047487319825510 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (19) ◽

pp. 2034-2041 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Safi U Khan ◽

Zain Ul Abideen Asad ◽

Muhammad U Khan ◽

Swapna Talluri ◽

Farman Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Primary Prevention ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cardiovascular Outcomes ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Patients With Diabetes ◽

Incident Cases ◽

Risk Ratios ◽

Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease

Background The safety and efficacy of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus remains controversial. Design A meta-analysis to investigate the effects of aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in diabetes mellitus. Methods Ten randomized controlled trials were selected using MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases until 27 September 2018. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and risk differences (RDs) reported as incident events per 1000 person-years were calculated. Results In 33,679 patients, aspirin did not significantly reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87–1.00, P = 0.06; RD −0.68 incident cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI −1.54, 0.17)), cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83–1.09, P = 0.49; RD 0.11 incident cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI −0.80, 1.02)), myocardial infarction (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.75–1.11, P = 0.36; RD −0.66 incident cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI −2.07, 0.75)), or stroke (RR 0.91, 95% C, 0.76–1.10, P = 0.33; RD −0.55 incident cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI −1.57, 0.47)). There was a significantly higher risk of total bleeding associated with aspirin (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.07–1.55, P = 0.01; RD 1.49 incident cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI 0.36, 2.61)). Conclusion The use of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus increases the risk of total bleeding without reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

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Update of Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients Without Known Cardiovascular Disease

Serbian Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research ◽

10.1515/sjecr-2017-0013 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 383-388

Author(s):

Miloje Tomasevic ◽

Srdjan Aleksandric ◽

Sinisa Stojkovic

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Primary Prevention ◽

Antiplatelet Therapy ◽

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Artery Disease ◽

Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract Platelet activation and aggregation play a critical role in thrombosis, a fundamental pathophysiologic event responsible for the acute clinical manifestations of atherothrombotic events such as acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack and peripheral artery disease. Dual antiplatelet therapy (low-dose aspirin plus ADP-P2Y12 receptor blockers) has become the cornerstone of therapy for the management of acute and chronic coronary artery disease and the prevention of ischemic complications associated with percutaneous coronary intervention. However, dual antiplatelet therapy in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients without known cardiovascular disease did not significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, stroke or death, but significantly increased the rate of bleeding. Furthermore, despite multiple randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of aspirin use in patients without known cardiovascular disease, its role in primary prevention is still unclear, especially in patients with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (non-diabetic individuals with >2 risk factors for coronary artery disease, elderly >60 years with additional risk factors, and patients with diabetes). Currently, there are four ongoing randomized controlled trials aiming to fill the missing gap in the efficacy and safety of aspirin therapy for primary prevention in these patients. The current European and United States Guidelines agree that primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is essential, but there are some substantial differences in risk estimation and treatment strategies among patients without known cardiovascular disease. This short review is focused on these differences and practical treatment approach to these patients based on present European and United States recommendations.

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The Ready to Reduce Risk (3R) Study for a Group Educational Intervention With Telephone and Text Messaging Support to Improve Medication Adherence for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11289 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jo L Byrne ◽

Helen M Dallosso ◽

Stephen Rogers ◽

Laura J Gray ◽

Ghazala Waheed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Medication Adherence ◽

Primary Prevention ◽

Text Messaging ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Improve Medication Adherence ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND Poor adherence to cardiovascular medications is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Evidence for effective education interventions that address medication adherence for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is lacking. The Ready to Reduce Risk (3R) study aims to investigate whether a complex intervention, involving group education plus telephone and text messaging follow-up support, can improve medication adherence and reduce cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVE This protocol paper details the design and rationale for the development of the 3R intervention and the study methods used. METHODS This is an open and pragmatic randomized controlled trial with 12 months of follow-up. We recruited participants from primary care and randomly assigned them at a 1:1 frequency, stratified by sex and age, to either a control group (usual care from a general practitioner) or an intervention group involving 2 facilitated group education sessions with telephone and text messaging follow-up support, with a theoretical underpinning and using recognized behavioral change techniques. The primary outcome was medication adherence to statins. The primary measure was an objective, novel, urine-based biochemical measure of medication adherence. We also used the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale to assess medication adherence. Secondary outcomes were changes in total cholesterol, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein ratio, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, waist circumference, smoking behavior, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, patient activation level, quality of life, health status, health and medication beliefs, and overall cardiovascular disease risk score. We also considered process outcomes relating to acceptability and feasibility of the 3R intervention. RESULTS We recruited 212 participants between May 2015 and March 2017. The 12-month follow-up data collection clinics were completed in April 2018, and data analysis will commence once all study data have been collected and verified. CONCLUSIONS This study will identify a potentially clinically useful and effective educational intervention for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Medication adherence to statins is being assessed using a novel urine assay as an objective measure, in conjunction with other validated measures. CLINICALTRIAL International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN16863160; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16863160 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/734PqfdQw) INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR DERR1-10.2196/11289

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