Editorial
Who should take aspirin for primary prophylaxis of coronary heart disease?
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Aspirin is widely used for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, and increasingly in recent years as antithrombotic treatment. Daily doses of 75-150 mg effectively inhibit the ability of blood platelets to synthesise thromboxane A2 and stable prostaglandins during their lifespan in the circulation (7-10 days), resulting in inhibition of platelet function ex vivo (impaired platelet aggregation) and in vivo (prolonged skin bleeding time). Because platelets play an important role in thrombosis, aspirin has an antithrombotic effect.
Systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials of antiplatelet
drugs (usually aspirin) have shown clinically worthwhile reductions in
cardiovascular events (non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and
cardiovascular death) when these agents are used in the treatment of
patients with acute ischaemia (myocardial
infarction, unstable angina, stroke), when used as secondary
prophylaxis in patients with chronic
ischaemia (previous myocardial infarction, stroke or transient
cerebral ischaemic attacks; stable angina; peripheral arterial
disease), and when used as prophylaxis in patients
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