Low-dose aspirin as primary prevention for adults without cardiovascular disease
Klausner, S (通讯作者),Univ Penn, Sch Nursing, Montgomery Ave,Apt 301, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 USA.
Background:Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Patients with cardiovascular disease risk factors are often put on low-dose aspirin to prevent future cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death. However, the evidence supporting this practice is limited.Objective:To examine whether adults without a history of cardiovascular disease benefit from taking daily low-dose aspirin as primary prevention for cardiovascular disease and death.Data sources:The four databases of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Ovid were used, and a total of 67 nonduplicate articles were reviewed. After examining those articles, four studies were included. Of the four studies, three were randomized controlled trials, and one was a retrospective cohort study.Conclusions:All four studies concluded that daily low-dose aspirin used for primary prevention does not lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.Implications for practice:Further research needs to be conducted to determine whether daily low-dose aspirin is beneficial in individuals without a history of cardiovascular disease. Nurse practitioners need to know the most current evidence-based practice recommendations to appropriately counsel patients about whether they should be taking low-dose aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease.