Preventing Heart Disease in Women

This observational study noted a clinically relevant, statistically significant reduction in the risk of a first myocardial infarction among women who took low-dose aspirin; specifically, women who reported taking between one and six aspirin per week experienced a 25% reduction in this risk.

Abstract

The prevention of cardiovascular disease in women is receiving increasing attention as clinicians, researchers, and policymakers question whether cardiovascular disease prevention efforts that have been evaluated predominantly in men offer the same benefits (and risks) to women. 1 The report by Manson et al 2 from the Nurses' Health Study provides evidence regarding one such intervention, namely the use of low-dose aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. This observational study noted a clinically relevant, statistically significant reduction in the risk of a first myocardial infarction among women who took low-dose aspirin; specifically, women who reported taking between one and six aspirin per week experienced a 25% reduction in the risk of a myocardial infarction in comparison with those who took no aspirin. A trend toward an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke was present among women who reported taking 15 or more aspirin per week but was not present