Majority of women not taking recommended daily aspirin to prevent heart disease

Washington, Apr 5 (ANI): Evidence-based national guidelines encourage the use of daily aspirin for women at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

However, less than half of the women who could benefit from aspirin are taking it, according to a new study.

"Based on this survey, it is evident that the majority of women for whom aspirin is recommended for prevention of cardiovascular disease are not following national guidelines," said Editor-in-Chief Susan G. Kornstein, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA.

Among more than 200,000 women participating in a web-based survey to assess their risk for cardiovascular disease, only 41 percent - 48 percent of women for whom aspirin is recommended reported that they took an aspirin daily, according to the study authors, Cathleen Rivera, MD and Texas-based colleagues from Scott and White Healthcare, Navigant Healthcare Consultants, and Texas A 'n' M Health Science Center.

The women were more likely to use aspirin if they had a family history of cardiovascular disease or had high cholesterol, as reported in the article.

The authors concluded that improved educational programs are needed to increase awareness of the benefits of aspirin use to prevent heart disease among women.

The study has been published in the Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (ANI)