Reviews
29 August 2024
Vol. 18 No. 3 (2024)
Acetylsalicylic acid in primary prevention: a review
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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The role of acetylsalicylic acid in secondary cardiovascular prevention is established. However, its role in primary prevention is much more controversial. In this review, we analyzed meta-analyses and trials regarding aspirin in primary prevention and, consequently, hemorrhagic risk related to anti-platelet therapy. Several factors have been considered (e.g., sex, comorbidities, bleeding risk factors, concomitant drugs, weight, age), aspirin’s pharmacokinetics included. In the end, we tried to individualize anti-aggregation therapy based on the risk/benefit ratio of every single subject. In conclusion, high-cardiovascular-risk subjects must be treated with acetylsalicylic acid in primary prevention according to their bleeding risk. For better cardiovascular stratification, other tools to detect risk modifier factors should be used (e.g., instrumental evaluations).
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How to Cite
Acetylsalicylic acid in primary prevention: a review. (2024). Italian Journal of Medicine, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2024.1770
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