Aspirin Use to Prevent CVD Updated

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends against initiating low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults 60 years or older. The decision to initiate low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD in adults aged 40 to 59 years who have a 10% or greater 10-year CVD risk should be an individual one. Evidence indicates that the net benefit of aspirin use in this group is small. Persons who are not at increased risk for bleeding and are willing to take low-dose aspirin daily are more likely to benefit. This recommendation replaces the 2016 recommendation. The update is based on a systematic review on the effect of aspirin use on CVD and colorectal cancer and a microsimulation modeling study to assess the net balance of benefits and harms. Both CVD and bleeding risk increase with age. The benefits of initiating aspirin use are greater with higher CVD risk but become smaller with aging. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/