Use of Aspirin for Prevention of Recurrent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Adults — 20 States and the District of Columbia, 2013.

The effectiveness of regular aspirin therapy in reducing risk (secondary prevention) for myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and fatal coronary events among persons with preexisting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is well established and recommended in current guidelines. Reported use of aspirin or other antiplatelet agents for secondary ASCVD prevention has varied widely across settings and data collection methods, from 54% of outpatient visits for those with ischemic vascular disease to 98% at the time of discharge for acute coronary syndrome. To estimate the prevalence of aspirin use for secondary ASCVD prevention among community-dwelling adults, CDC analyzed 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from 20 states and the District of Columbia. Overall, 70.8% of adult respondents with existing ASCVD reported using aspirin regularly (every day or every other day). Within this group, 93.6% reported using aspirin for heart attack prevention, 79.6% for stroke prevention and 76.2% for both heart attack and stroke prevention. Differences in use were found by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and ASCVD risk status, and state. Most of the state differences were not statistically significant; however, these estimates can be used to promote the use of aspirin as a low-cost and highly effective intervention.