The use of aspirin in individuals without cardiovascular disease (CVD) was associated with a lower risk of CV events and an increased risk of major bleeding, a new study found. The systematic review and meta-analysis of included 13 trials with 164,225 participants without CVD (median age 62 years, 19% had diabetes). Researchers assessed the association of aspirin use for primary prevention with CV events and bleeding. The primary CV outcome was a composite of CV mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke. The primary bleeding outcome was any major bleeding. Among the findings:

• Participant median baseline risk of the primary CV outcome was 9.2%.
• Aspirin use was associated with significant reductions in the composite CV outcome compared with no aspirin.
• Aspirin use was also associated with an increased risk of major bleeding events compared with no aspirin.