Aspirin reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, though effects differ between men and womenJanuary 18, 2006An analysis of previous studies indicates that use of aspirin significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in women and in men, due to reducing the risk of stroke in women and reducing the risk of heart attack in men, according to a study in the January 18 issue of JAMA. Although the benefits of aspirin therapy for reducing the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction - MI), stroke, and vascular death among men and women with preexisting cardiovascular disease are well established, the role of aspirin in primary prevention is less clear, according to background information in the article. And it has not been clear if there is a differential beneficial effect between men and women. Jeffrey S. Berger, M.D., M.S., of Duke University, Durham, N.C., and colleagues performed a sex-specific meta-analysis of aspirin therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events to better understand the association of sex with the response to aspirin. The researchers performed a search of databases to identify randomized controlled trials of aspirin therapy in participants without cardiovascular disease that reported data on heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Six trials with a total of 95,456 individuals were identified; 3 trials included only men, 1 included only women, and 2 included both sexes. The authors examined a combined endpoint of any major cardiovascular event (cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, or nonfatal stroke), and each of these individual components separately. The researchers found that among the 51,342 women, there were 625 strokes, 469 heart attacks, and 364 cardiovascular deaths. Aspirin therapy was associated with a significant 12 percent reduction in cardiovascular events and a 17 percent reduction in stroke, which was a reflection of a 24 percent reduced rate of ischemic stroke. There was no significant effect on heart attacks or cardiovascular death. Among the 44,114 men, there were 597 strokes, 1,023 heart attacks, and 776 cardiovascular deaths. Aspirin therapy was associated with a significant 14 percent reduction in cardiovascular events and a 32 percent reduction in heart attacks. There was no significant effect on stroke or cardiovascular death. Aspirin treatment resulted in an approximately 70 percent increase in the risk of major bleeding events among women and men. The authors add that aspirin therapy for an average of 6.4 years results in an average absolute benefit of approximately 3 cardiovascular events prevented per 1,000 women and 4 cardiovascular events prevented per 1,000 men. " the favorable effect of aspirin on the combined risk of cardiovascular events for women and men is apparent from these randomized studies. Aspirin use is also associated with a significant risk of major bleeding irrespective of sex. Both the beneficial and harmful effects of aspirin should be considered by the physician and patient before initiating aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in both sexes," the authors conclude. JAMA and Archives Journals |
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| Related Aspirin Current Events and Aspirin News Articles Early end to key study on benefits of niacin, a B vitamin, in keeping arteries open was premature Heart experts at Johns Hopkins are calling premature the early halt of a study by researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center on the benefits of combining extended-release niacin, a B vitamin, with cholesterol-lowering statin medications to prevent blood vessel narrowing. Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power of Flu Shots With flu vaccination season in full swing, research from the University of Rochester Medical Center cautions that use of many common pain killers - Advil, Tylenol, aspirin - at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negative effect on the immune system. News brief: Effects of aspirin and folic acid on inflammation markers for colorectal adenomas Unexpectedly, inflammation markers do not appear to be involved with the chemopreventative effect of aspirin on colorectal adenomas, according to a brief communication published online October 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Aspirin Misuse May Have Made 1918 Flu Pandemic Worse The devastation of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is well known, but a new article suggests a surprising factor in the high death toll: the misuse of aspirin. Cogent trial shows lack of adverse interaction between clopidogrel and stomach medicine Results from a late breaking clinical trial called COGENT demonstrate that the combination of giving patients clopidogrel, a blood thinner commonly prescribed to patients with cardiovascular disease, and stomach medicines such as omeprazole, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), did not lead to adverse events, as some prior studies had suggested. Aspirin works for primary prevention in moderate and high risk diabetics The beneficial effects of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events i.e. stroke, MI and cardiac death are known and generally accepted. New strategies for reperfusion therapy A new trial has begun in order to ascertain once and for all whether the best strategy for patients who cannot receive P-PCI is early fibrinolysis, together with mandated angiography. Small peptide found to stop lung cancer tumor growth in mice In new animal research done by investigators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, scientists have discovered a treatment effective in mice at blocking the growth and shrinking the size of lung cancer tumors, one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world. Genetic variation associated with poorer response, cardiovascular outcomes with use of clopidogrel Patients with a certain genetic variation who received the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel had a decreased platelet response to treatment and among those who had percutaneous coronary intervention (procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) had an increased risk of having a cardiovascular event in the following year than patients who did not have this variant, according to a study in the August 26 issue of JAMA. Study reveals mounting evidence of fish oil's heart health benefits There is mounting evidence that omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements not only help prevent cardiovascular diseases in healthy individuals, but also reduce the incidence of cardiac events and mortality in patients with existing heart disease. More Aspirin Current Events and Aspirin News Articles |
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