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TOPLINE:

Aspirin use for secondary prevention among adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remained stable from 2015 to 2020, a period that saw a rise in negative messages about aspirin for primary prevention, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate whether negative messaging about aspirin for primary prevention affected its use for secondary prevention.
• They included data from 1890 participants with ASCVD from surveys conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2019-2020 across multiple locations in the US. The median age of participants was 70 years, and 62% were men.
• Participants reported whether they took aspirin regularly (daily or every other day), had never used it, or had stopped using it. Those who stopped cited their reasons, and all reported whether they had discussed aspirin with their physician.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, 75.5% of participants reported current use of aspirin, 14.7% had never used it, and 9.8% had stopped using it.
• Use of aspirin for secondary prevention did not decline across the three survey periods, although the proportion of reported negative messages increased in 2019-2020.
• Among those who stopped aspirin and cited reasons, 65.9% reported doing so on their physician’s advice, whereas only 1.8% cited negative messaging.
• Among regular users of aspirin, 64.4% reported discussing the drug with a physician and were 54% less likely to stop its use than those who did not have such discussions.

IN PRACTICE:

“This suggests clinician guidance outweighs media influence, highlighting ongoing patient-clinician trust and emphasizing the importance of accessible care amid evolving guidelines,” the researchers wrote.

“Our findings underscore the critical role of accessible primary care and effective patient-clinician communication for maintaining adherence to evidence-based prevention strategies amid evolving guidelines and conflicting public health messages,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Jeremy R Van’t Hof, MD, MS, of the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. It was published online on June 4 as a research letter in JAMA Network Open.

LIMITATIONS:

The study used self-reported data, which may have been inaccurate. The sample came from five upper-Midwest states and may not have represented other areas.

DISCLOSURES:

The study received a grant from the National Institutes of Health and the Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota. Three authors reported receiving grant support from multiple sources including the funding organizations.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.