Aspirin underuse

Executive Summary

"Improvements in reported aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention were modest in the past decade and substantial treatment gaps have persisted, particularly for moderate-risk patients, including individuals with diabetes," reports Randall Stafford, MD/PhD, Stanford University, at the Society of General Internal Medicine annual meeting in Chicago May 23. Analyzing medical survey data over a 10-year period, Stafford found use by diabetics grew only from 4% to 6% between 1992 and 2001. Among high-risk patients, growth was modest as well, from 21% to 24%. "Targeted interventions may be warranted in patients with diabetes and/or multiple major CHD risk factors, as well as in at-risk subpopulations where aspirin use is lower than average"...