title: Regular use of aspirin for cardiovascular disease prevention in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Only a few European studies focused on aspirin use in the general population. We provide updated information on the prevalence and determinants of regular aspirin use for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Italian adult population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from a survey conducted in Italy in 2013, on a sample of 3000 individuals, representative of the general Italian population aged ≥15years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 10.9% of Italians reported a regular use of aspirin, 11.2% of men and 10.5% of women. Aspirin use significantly increased with age. The highest prevalence of aspirin use was observed among the elderly (30.3%), ex-smokers (22.6%), and in individuals with a diagnosis of diabetes (52.0%), hypertension (42.6%) or hypercholesterolemia (38.6%). After adjustment for several covariates, no significant heterogeneity in aspirin use was observed according to education, body mass index, and physical activity. Only 1.2% of low CVD risk individuals regularly used aspirin versus 48.3% of individuals with high CVD risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 3.4million high CVD risk Italians do not regularly use aspirin for primary or secondary prevention. Thus, more widespread preventive strategy is recommended for this population, once individual benefits of regular aspirin use exceed harms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lugo
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences for the Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asciutto
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parazzini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy. Electronic address: silvano.gallus@marionegri.it.
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: Aspirin; Cardiovascular risk; Diabetes; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypertension; Italy; Prevention