Biomaterial Database

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events. 1998

F A Augustovski, and S B Cantor, and C T Thach, and S J Spann

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Unidad de Medicina Familiar y Preventiva, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

OBJECTIVE The use of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in the general population is controversial. The purpose of this study was to create a versatile model to evaluate the effects of aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with different risk profiles. METHODS A Markov decision-analytic model evaluated the expected length and quality of life for the cohort's next 10 years as measured by quality-adjusted survival for the options of taking or not taking aspirin. METHODS Hypothetical model of patients in a primary care setting. METHODS Several cohorts of patients with a range of risk profiles typically seen in a primary care setting were considered. Risk factors considered included gender, age, cholesterol levels, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes, and presence of left ventricular hypertrophy. The cohorts were followed for 10 years. Outcomes were myocardial infarction, stroke, gastrointestinal bleed, ulcer, and death. RESULTS For the cases considered, the effects of aspirin varied according to the cohort's risk profile. By taking aspirin, the lowest-risk cohort would be the most harmed with a loss of 1.8 quality-adjusted life days by taking aspirin; the highest risk cohort would achieve the most benefit with a gain of 11.3 quality-adjusted life days. Results without quality adjustment favored taking aspirin in all the cohorts, with a gain of 0.73 to 8.04 days. The decision was extremely sensitive to variations in the utility of taking aspirin and to aspirin's effects on cardiovascular mortality. The model was robust to other probability and utility changes within reasonable parameters. CONCLUSIONS The decision of whether to take aspirin as primary prevention for cardiovascular events depends on patient risk. It is a harmful intervention for patients with no risk factors, and it is beneficial in moderate and high-risk patients. The benefits of aspirin in this population are comparable to those of other widely accepted preventive strategies. It is especially dependent on the patient's risk profile, patient preferences for the adverse effects of aspirin, and on the level of beneficial effects of aspirin on cardiovascular-related mortality.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010975	Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors	Drugs or agents which antagonize or impair any mechanism leading to blood platelet aggregation, whether during the phases of activation and shape change or following the dense-granule release reaction and stimulation of the prostaglandin-thromboxane system.	Antiaggregants, Platelet,Antiplatelet Agent,Antiplatelet Agents,Antiplatelet Drug,Blood Platelet Aggregation Inhibitor,Blood Platelet Antagonist,Blood Platelet Antiaggregant,PAR-1 Antagonists,Platelet Aggregation Inhibitor,Platelet Antagonist,Platelet Antagonists,Platelet Antiaggregant,Platelet Antiaggregants,Platelet Inhibitor,Protease-Activated Receptor-1 Antagonists,Antiplatelet Drugs,Blood Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors,Blood Platelet Antagonists,Blood Platelet Antiaggregants,Platelet Inhibitors,Agent, Antiplatelet,Aggregation Inhibitor, Platelet,Antagonist, Blood Platelet,Antagonist, Platelet,Antiaggregant, Blood Platelet,Antiaggregant, Platelet,Drug, Antiplatelet,Inhibitor, Platelet,Inhibitor, Platelet Aggregation,PAR 1 Antagonists,Platelet Antagonist, Blood,Platelet Antiaggregant, Blood,Protease Activated Receptor 1 Antagonists
D011788	Quality of Life	A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease.	HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D002318	Cardiovascular Diseases	Pathological conditions involving the CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM including the HEART; the BLOOD VESSELS; or the PERICARDIUM.	Adverse Cardiac Event,Cardiac Events,Major Adverse Cardiac Events,Adverse Cardiac Events,Cardiac Event,Cardiac Event, Adverse,Cardiac Events, Adverse,Cardiovascular Disease,Disease, Cardiovascular,Event, Cardiac
D003661	Decision Support Techniques	Mathematical or statistical procedures used as aids in making a decision. They are frequently used in medical decision-making.	Decision Analysis,Decision Modeling,Models, Decision Support,Analysis, Decision,Decision Aids,Decision Support Technics,Aid, Decision,Aids, Decision,Analyses, Decision,Decision Aid,Decision Analyses,Decision Support Model,Decision Support Models,Decision Support Technic,Decision Support Technique,Model, Decision Support,Modeling, Decision,Technic, Decision Support,Technics, Decision Support,Technique, Decision Support,Techniques, Decision Support
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001241	Aspirin	The prototypical analgesic used in the treatment of mild to moderate pain. It has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties and acts as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase which results in the inhibition of the biosynthesis of prostaglandins. Aspirin also inhibits platelet aggregation and is used in the prevention of arterial and venous thrombosis. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p5)	Acetylsalicylic Acid,2-(Acetyloxy)benzoic Acid,Acetysal,Acylpyrin,Aloxiprimum,Colfarit,Dispril,Easprin,Ecotrin,Endosprin,Magnecyl,Micristin,Polopirin,Polopiryna,Solprin,Solupsan,Zorprin,Acid, Acetylsalicylic
D018570	Risk Assessment	The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)	Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments