Aspirin fails to reduce women’s risk of first MI
Low-dose aspirin does not decrease the risk of women having a first heart attack or of dying from cardiovascular events, say researchers.
Previous trials have shown that low-dose aspirin decreases the risk of
a first myocardial infarction in men, with little effect on the risk
of ischaemic stroke. Conversely, new data have shown that, in women,
low-dose aspirin lowers the risk of stroke, but does not affect the risk
of MI or death from all cardiovascular causes.
As part of the Women’s Health Study, 39,876 participants aged 45
years or older were randomly assigned to 100mg aspirin or placebo on
alternate days. They were monitored for 10 years for major cardiovascular
events (non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or death from
a cardiovascular event). Although aspirin reduced the risk of major cardiovascular
events in these women by 9 per cent, the results were not statistically
significant and aspirin had no significant effect on any of the major
cardiovascular events individually.
The incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding requiring transfusion was
more common in the aspirin group than the placebo group (relative risk
1.40, 95 per cent CI 1.07 to 1.83, P=0.02).A subgroup analysis showed
that the risk of a major cardiovascular event, ischaemic stroke and myocardial
infarction was reduced in women aged over 65 years, although this group
of women also experienced a greater incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding.
The data were presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting
this week and were published online in the New England Journal of
Medicine.
Further data from the Women’s Health Study presented at the meeting
indicated that there is no evidence of cardiovascular risk or benefit
from vitamin E supplementation. |
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