Baseline risk for coronary heart disease over 5 years: 1%
Total mortality: No effect
CHD events**: 1-4 avoided
Hemorrhagic strokes***: 0-2 caused
Major gastrointestinal bleeding events****: 2-4 caused
Baseline risk for coronary heart disease over 5 years: 3%
Total mortality: No effect
CHD events**: 4-12 avoided
Hemorrhagic strokes***: 0-2 caused
Major gastrointestinal bleeding events****: 2-4 caused
Baseline risk for coronary heart disease over 5 years: 5%
Total mortality: No effect
CHD events**: 6-20 avoided
Hemorrhagic strokes***: 0-2 caused
Major gastrointestinal bleeding events****: 2-4 caused
* These estimates are based on a relative risk reduction of 28% for coronary heart disease events in aspirin-treated patients. They assume risk reductions do not vary significantly by age.
** Nonfatal acute myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease. Five-year risks of 1%, 3% and 5% are equivalent to 10-year risks of 2%, 6%, and 10%, respectively.
*** Data from secondary prevention trials suggest that increases in hemorrhagic stroke may be offset by reduction in other types of stroke in patients at very high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) (greater than or equal to 10% 5-year risk).
**** Rates may be 2 to 3 times higher in people older than 70 years.
Source: Hayden M, Pignone M, Phillips C, Mulrow C. Aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events: A summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine 2002;136:16172.