Acetylsalicylic acid in the prevention of cardiovascular events: patients’s profile in a city in Minas Gerais

Abstract

The chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the world, especially cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are responsible for around 18 million deaths a year. Among the pharmacological strategies for reducing mortality rates caused by CVD are primary and secondary prevention. In both, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has been used, despite current evidence showing a high risk compared to its benefits in primary prevention. The study aimed to analyze the clinical and sociodemographic profile of patients who use ASA to prevent cardiovascular events in the city of Taiobeiras - MG. This is a cross-sectional study, with random sampling, which included people in continuous use of ASA, aged 18 or over. Eighty-three individuals were randomly selected for a semi-structured questionnaire. The study showed a higher frequency of female participants, aged over 60, self-declared brown and illiterate. It was observed that most of the individuals who made continuous use of ASA had been using the drug for 5 years or more and were polypharmacy. Most of the participants reported comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. This study showed that most patients use ASA for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events, contrary to the recommendations of newer studies. In addition, it was found that some patients already had previous gastrointestinal illnesses before using ASA, disagreeing with the recommendations on the use of the drug for this population. Therefore, it is necessary to re-evaluate patients using ASA for primary prevention.