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Aspirin Reduces Mortality in Women with Stable Cardiovascular Disease: Presented at AHA

By Charlene Laino

DALLAS, TX -- November 21, 2005 -- Aspirin can significantly reduce death rates in postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease, according to data presented here at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2005 (AHA).

The results, from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, were presented by Jeffrey Berger, MD, Cardiology Fellow, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States.

While randomized controlled trials of patients with cardiovascular disease have demonstrated that aspirin reduces the risk of fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke, the effects on women with stable cardiovascular disease remain unclear, he said in during his presentation on November 15^th.

To fill in the knowledge gap, Dr. Berger and colleagues followed 8928 women who were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, a longitudinal multicenter cohort study of 93,676 women aged 50 to 79 years at baseline.

Of the total, 4101 women (46%) reported taking aspirin, of whom 1224 (30%) were taking 81 mg/day and 2877 (70%) were taking 325 mg/day.

Over a 6.5 year follow-up period, women taking either dose of aspirin were found to be 17% less likely to die from any cause (P = .03) and 25% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease (P = .01), compared to non-users.

Both doses were associated with a non-significant reduction in cardiovascular events (81mg, HR = 0.85; P = .14; 325 mg, HR = 0.87; P = .09).

Compared with 325mg, treatment with 81mg of aspirin was not significantly different in its effect on all-cause mortality (P = .57).

The next step, Dr. Berger said, is to find out the optimal dose of aspirin for women. "It appears that the smaller 81-mg dose is as effective as 325 mg but we need to confirm that," he said.

In the meantime, postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease should take aspirin as a preventive measure unless it is contraindicated, Dr. Berger said.

The findings may not apply to young women with heart disease since only postmenopausal women were studied, Dr. Berger said.


[Presentation title: The Effect of Aspirin Treatment and Dose on All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Postmenopausal Women with Stable Cardiovascular Disease: The Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Abstract 3802]

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