Aspirin overprescription in primary cardiovascular prevention.
BACKGROUND
Aspirin overprescription is of some concern, especially in still-healthy individuals, and estimates of the magnitude of this problem are lacking. We evaluated the inappropriateness of aspirin prescription by primary care physicians in primary cardiovascular prevention.


METHODS
Out of 20,599 patients screened by 16 primary care physicians in the Abruzzi region, central Italy, 400 patients were on treatment with aspirin for primary prevention. For each such patient, the absolute cardiovascular and coronary risks were assessed according to the Italian Cardiovascular Risk Chart for Primary Prevention and the European Society of Cardiology Coronary Risk Chart, respectively. Patients with a cardiovascular and/or coronary risk <1.0 event/100 patients/year were considered as treated inappropriately (aspirin overprescription), on the basis of previous literature.


RESULTS
Overall, as many as 12% and 18% of patients had a cardiovascular and/or coronary risk <1.0 event/100 patients/year according to the European and the Italian charts, respectively, and therefore were defined as treated inappropriately. Patients with and without inappropriate treatment were similar with respect to smoking habits, family history and body max index. However, inappropriately treated patients had significantly lower levels of blood pressure and total cholesterol, and were more likely to be female, younger and non-diabetic than patients appropriately treated.


CONCLUSIONS
A non-negligible proportion-up to 18%-of subjects in primary prevention is currently more likely to derive harm than benefit from inappropriate aspirin use. A wider use of Cardiovascular Risk Charts should guide primary care physicians in prescribing aspirin for primary prevention.
Manes
Costantina
C
Institute of Cardiology, G d'Annunzio University-Chieti, Italy.
Giacci
Luciano
L
Sciartilli
Adolfo
A
D'Alleva
Alberto
A
De Caterina
Raffaele
R
D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002784:Cholesterol; D001241:Aspirin