October 2, 2018 – Who Needs Aspirin?

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Anchor lead: Is there anyone who still should use aspirin daily? Elizabeth Tracey reports

A daily aspirin didn’t help reduce cardiovascular events in healthy older people, a recent large study called ASPREE found. Erin Michos, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, says there is still a role for aspirin in prevention of another cardiovascular event in someone who’s already had one, so-called secondary prevention.

Michos: I still use it in secondary prevention in known disease. And I may use it selectively in some primary prevention populations. This wasn’t studied in the trials. If someone had a very elevated coronary calcium score, which is a marker of plaque in their arteries, even if they hadn’t had a heart attack yet I would consider them to be more like the secondary prevention and as long as they’re not at bleeding risk they may consider aspirin in those, but not broadly.  :27

Michos says a personalized approach that takes each person’s risk into account is best. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.