Aspirin for primary prevention: Is this the end of the road?

ABSTRACT

Aspirin is one of the oldest and most commonly used cardiovascular drugs. Despite there being high-quality evidence supporting the use of aspirin for patients with known cardiovascular disease, a definitive consensus regarding its use for patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (and without established cardiovascular disease) has never been reached. Many randomized control trials have produced conflicting results, and consequently, society guidelines have issued differring recommendations. Three major trials were published in 2018, which supplement the existing data on aspirin's role in primary prevention and provide further guidance on this contentious issue. This article reviews the history of aspirin through the last two decades, with special emphasis on these new trials.