Introduction: The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends aspirin use for men aged 45 to 79, when the potential benefit of preventing myocardial infarctions outweighs the potential harm of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. We determined prevalence and predictors of aspirin use for primary prevention of myocardial infarction vis-à-vis risk among men aged 45 to 79 in North Carolina.
Methods: The study used data for men aged 45 to 79 without contraindications to aspirin use or a history of cardiovascular disease from the 2013 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Stratification by risk of myocardial infarction was based on history of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking. Analyses were performed in Stata version 13.0 (StataCorp LP); survey commands were used to account for complex sampling design.
Results: Most respondents, 74.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 71.2%-77.0%), had at least one risk factor for myocardial infarction. Prevalence of aspirin use among respondents with risk factors was 44.8% (95% CI, 41.0-48.5) and was significantly higher than the prevalence among respondents without risk factors (prevalence ratio: 1.44 [95% CI, 1.17-1.78]). No significant linear dose (number of risk factors)-response (taking aspirin) relationship was found (P for trend = .25). Older age predicted (P = .03) aspirin use among respondents with at least one myocardial infarction risk factor.
Conclusion: Most men aged 45 to 79 in North Carolina have at least one risk factor for myocardial infarction, but less than half use aspirin. Interventions aimed at boosting aspirin use are needed among at-risk men in North Carolina.