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Study Shows Aspirin Underutilized
Despite its proven ability to help prevent heart attacks, aspirin is still underutilized as
a preventive measure, according to a study conducted by the
American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM). The American Heart Association (AHA) has
recommended that aspirin be considered for certain high-risk patients over the age of 40.
Risk is defined as the probability of experiencing a heart attack or stroke over the next
ten years. People with a 10 percent chance are at elevated risk.
High-risk people are candidates for aspirin, according to the AHA. Numerous studies have
shown that low-dose aspirin can help prevent heart attack if taken regularly, under a
physician's supervision. However, according to the ACPM's study, 43 percent of adults over
the age of 40 who are at increased risk are not using aspirin therapy.
Specifically, the study showed that 42 percent of American adults aged 40 or over were at
increased risk for heart disease. Yet there was a marked lack of concern among people who
had never experienced a heart attack. Researchers speculated that many Americans are unaware
of their risk level. For example, only 36 percent of at- risk women identified heart disease
as the health condition they feared most, behind Alzheimer's and stroke and equal to breast
cancer. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women.
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