Aspirin can help prevent a second heart attack

[AndhraPickles]

Fewer than half of people worldwide who have already had one heart attack or stroke take daily aspirin to prevent a second one, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Increasing daily aspirin use in such patients could reduce cardiovascular deaths.

For people who have experienced a heart attack or stroke, taking a daily aspirin has been shown to help prevent a second one. Yet, despite aspirin’s low cost and its clear benefits in such scenarios, fewer than half of people worldwide who have had a heart attack or stroke take the medication, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Michigan.

The study appears Aug. 22 in JAMA.

Cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, is the leading cause of death globally. Multiple studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s established that antiplatelet therapy — including aspirin — can reduce the risk of a second cardiovascular event, such as a second heart attack or stroke, by about one-quarter. Since then, daily aspirin has been recommended for this purpose. Daily aspirin therapy is also generally affordable. In the U.S., a monthly supply of baby aspirin (81 milligrams per dose) can cost from $2 to $8, depending on the retailer and the amount purchased.

“Survivors of heart attacks and stroke often face a high risk of having subsequent events,” said first author Sang Gune Yoo, MD, a cardiovascular disease fellow in the Cardiovascular Division at Washington University School of Medicine. “In fact, many people die from having recurring attacks. Aspirin offers one effective and relatively low-cost option for reducing the likelihood of additional events in individuals with established cardiovascular disease, and yet most people who could benefit from a daily aspirin don’t take it.”

According to Yoo, the new study can’t explain why aspirin is so underused, but there likely are multiple intersecting explanations, including varying accessibility to health care in general, inconsistent messaging surrounding use of the drug, and the fact that aspirin is not always available over-the-counter, requiring a prescription in some countries.

Despite the benefits of aspirin, the study showed that in low-income countries, only 16.6% of eligible individuals — those who had experienced a first heart attack or stroke — were taking aspirin to prevent a second heart attack or stroke. In lower-middle-income countries this number was 24.5%. It increased to 51.1% for upper-middle-income countries, and to 65% in high-income countries, including the United States.

 

https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/aspirin-can-help-prevent-a-second-heart-attack-but-most-dont-take-it/