Aspirin As a Therapeutic Agent in Cardiovascular Disease

H eart attack (acute myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death related to disease of the large arteries supplying the heart) and ischemic stroke (focal neurological deficit secondary to cerebrovascular disease of the large and small arteries supplying the brain or emboli from the heart or aorta) are among the foremost serious health problems in the Western hemisphere. Because coronary artery disease is so prevalent, medical treatment and coronary revascularization, through coronary artery bypass grafting and/or percutaneous coronary angioplasty, are important components of health care costs in the United States. The purpose of this report, which is based on a concise review of the current knowledge about the role of aspirin in cardiovascular disease, is to provide a position statement for physicians to serve as a guideline for the use of aspirin in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.