Barry Greenberg, M.D., F.A.C.C., from the University of California, San Diego, who was not connected with the research, said the use of aspirin in patients with heart failure remains controversial.
"Unfortunately, none of the available studies provides a definitive answer to this question. In this context, the two articles add to the debate," Dr. Greenberg said.
Prior Aspirin Use May Not Be a Red Flag for Heart Attack Patients
Although aspirin can lower the risk of a heart attack, a number of studies have indicated that when someone has a heart attack despite taking aspirin, the outlook may be worse than for a similar patient who had not been taking aspirin before the heart attack. But researchers who analyzed Medicare records on more than 100,000 heart attack patients report that they did not see any link between prior aspirin use and death rates within six months.
"Our findings contrast with some, but not all, previous studies. No prior study, however, had the opportunity to examine the real world experience of a nationally representative group of patients, rather than a selected group who were in a clinical trial or a small observational study," said Harlan M. Krumholz, M.D., S.M., F.A.C.C., from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. "For the public, this study may reinforce the value of aspirin for the prevention of heart disea
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Contact: Anne Dees
adees@acc.org
301-581-3406
American College of Cardiology
15-Sep-2005