[The present status of the use of aspirin for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the current status of the use of aspirin among outpatients with established coronary heart disease (CHD) in China.


METHODS
Sixty-four hospitals across 31 provinces of China, including 32 secondary hospitals and 32 tertiary hospitals were selected for a baseline survey. Fifty outpatients with history of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were recruited consecutively in each hospital. Information of these patients was collected and the situation of aspirin use among the patients was analyzed.


RESULTS
There totally 2781 CHD outpatients were recruited with complete data. Mean age of the patients was 65 +/- 10. Sixty-nine percent of the patients was males and 31% was females. The utilization rate of aspirin before this clinical visit was 83.6%. There were significant difference among regions and hospitals. The utilization rate of aspirin was 64.2% and 97.8% respectively in the two provinces with the lowest use rate and the highest use rate. Use rates of aspirin in CHD outpatients varied from 29.4% to 98%among 64 hospitals. The male CHD patients had higher use rate than the female patients did (85.1% vs. 80.4%, P < 0.01). There also was notable difference in prescribed dose of aspirin among regions and hospitals. An analysis of multiple logistic regression model revealed that gender, age, monthly income, history of PCI and onset time of the previous ACS event were independently associated with the utilization status of aspirin in these outpatients.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall utilization rate of aspirin in CHD outpatients reached to 83.6%, but remarkable differences in aspirin use existed among regions, hospitals and patients with different characteristics in current clinical practice in China.
Liu
Jun
J
Department of Epidemiology, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing 100029, China.
Zhao
Dong
D
Liu
Jing
J
Sun
Jia-yi
JY
Smith
Sidney C
SC
D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002681:China; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055502:Secondary Prevention
D001241:Aspirin