Low-dose aspirin therapy could be associated with mortality benefits in patients with heart failure, according to a retrospective analysis of a large community-based study.
There is contradictory evidence on the impact of aspirin on the benefits of ACE inhibitors and several studies have suggested an adverse impact on mortality in heart failure.
A new analysis of data from 1,278 patients with heart failure and a mean age of 70.2 years who took an average dose of 89.5mg aspirin daily. In an unadjusted analysis there was no difference in mortality between aspirin users and non-users, at 33.2% and 36.3%, respectively.
There was also no difference in hospitalisations, but when adjusted for confounders, aspirin use showed a 30.3% survival benefit compared with no aspirin use.
Study leader Dr Ken McDonald, consultant cardiologist at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, concluded: ‘Unlike previous reports, this shows an association with mortality benefit when adjusted for key population differences including BNP levels. Randomised prospective studies are required to clarify the role of aspirin therapy in heart failure.'
ESC 2011, abstract 5283
