To investigate changes in aspirin use for secondary prevention between 2015 and 2020, particularly in light of adverse perceptions among cardiovascular disease patients.
Key Findings:
75.5% of participants currently used aspirin, 14.7% never used it, and 9.8% had stopped, indicating a stable use pattern despite negative messaging.
Conversations about aspirin with a physician were more common among regular users (64.4%) compared to stoppers (44.1%) and never users (18.1%), highlighting the role of clinician communication.
Only 1.8% of aspirin stoppers cited negative messaging as the reason for stopping; 65.9% cited a physician's recommendation, suggesting clinician influence is paramount.
Interpretation:
Despite increasing negative messaging about aspirin for primary prevention, secondary prevention aspirin use remained stable from 2015 to 2020, indicating that clinician guidance may mitigate adverse perceptions.
Limitations:
Self-reported data may lead to misclassification, which could affect the reliability of the findings.
Regional sampling limits generalizability, and the use of landline telephones may bias toward older, more rural individuals.
Conclusion:
Clinician guidance appears to outweigh media influence on aspirin use, emphasizing the importance of patient-clinician communication in maintaining adherence to evidence-based practices.
