Introduction
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Aspirin therapy has been shown to be an effective prevention measure to reduce the risk of new (primary) or recurring (secondary) cardiovascular events.
Objective
The aim of this study was to provide an epidemiological analysis of the use of low-dose aspirin for primary and secondary CVD prevention from 2012–2014.
Materials and Methods
The data source was the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a multipurpose survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the principal source of information on the health of the civilian, oninstitutionalized population of the United States. Estimates of self-reported low-dose aspirin use for primary and secondary CVD prevention among adults ≥40 years of age were obtained from the NHIS for the years 2012–2014. Demographics and health characteristics data were used to analyze intergroup differences for the combined time period, as well as intragroup differences from year to year. Categorical variables were analyzed using the chi-squared test, while continuous variables were analyzed using a oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) or independent samples t-test.
Results
Among adults ≥40 years of age during 2012-2014, 18.7% selfreported as taking aspirin for primary CVD prevention and 8.9% self-reported as taking as