TY - JOUR
T1 - A national survey on aspirin patterns of use and persistence in community outpatients in Italy
AU - Filippi, Alessandro
AU - Bianchi, Cosetta
AU - Parazzini, Fabio
AU - Cricelli, Claudio
AU - Sessa, Emiliano
AU - Mazzaglia, Giampiero
PY - 2011/10
Y1 - 2011/10
N2 - Background: Aspirin is recommended as preventive therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes mellitus, and high cardiovascular risk due to multiple risk factors. However, the benefits of aspirin might be affected by its inappropriate use. Real-life information on aspirin use is therefore needed as an audit tool aimed to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional and cohort study. Methods: Primary care data were obtained from 400 Italian general practitioners (GPs) providing information to the Health Search/CDS Longitudinal Patients Database. Prevalence of use was assessed in individuals aged 18 years and older, registered in the GP's list at the beginning of the observation period (year 2005). As potential correlates of aspirin use, clinical and demographic variables were also recorded. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between such covariates and aspirin use. Persistence to aspirin treatment was examined among newly prescribed aspirin users during the years 2000-04. Results: On a total sample of 540,984 patients, 45,271 (8.3%) were prescribed at least once with aspirin. On 35,473 patients with previous CVD, 51.7% were treated with aspirin, whereas only 15.2% of 151,526 eligible patients free of CVD received an aspirin prescription. In primary prevention, prevalence of aspirin use was significantly associated with the increased number of cardiovascular risk factors either among diabetic (p
AB - Background: Aspirin is recommended as preventive therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes mellitus, and high cardiovascular risk due to multiple risk factors. However, the benefits of aspirin might be affected by its inappropriate use. Real-life information on aspirin use is therefore needed as an audit tool aimed to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional and cohort study. Methods: Primary care data were obtained from 400 Italian general practitioners (GPs) providing information to the Health Search/CDS Longitudinal Patients Database. Prevalence of use was assessed in individuals aged 18 years and older, registered in the GP's list at the beginning of the observation period (year 2005). As potential correlates of aspirin use, clinical and demographic variables were also recorded. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between such covariates and aspirin use. Persistence to aspirin treatment was examined among newly prescribed aspirin users during the years 2000-04. Results: On a total sample of 540,984 patients, 45,271 (8.3%) were prescribed at least once with aspirin. On 35,473 patients with previous CVD, 51.7% were treated with aspirin, whereas only 15.2% of 151,526 eligible patients free of CVD received an aspirin prescription. In primary prevention, prevalence of aspirin use was significantly associated with the increased number of cardiovascular risk factors either among diabetic (p
KW - Aspirin
KW - Cardiovascular diseases
KW - Primary prevention
KW - Secondary prevention
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U2 - 10.1177/1741826710397850
DO - 10.1177/1741826710397850
M3 - Article
C2 - 21450601
AN - SCOPUS:80054863908
VL - 18
SP - 695
EP - 703
JO - European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation
JF - European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation
SN - 1741-8267
IS - 5
ER -