Aspirin for everyone older than 50?

Education and debateFor and against Aspirin for everyone older than 50?Current population screening for vascular disease is neither efficient nor effective.Peter Elwood and colleagues believe we should have a public information strategy highlighting the benefits (and risks) of aspirin for older people, but Colin Baigent argues that the evidence of benefit is not yet strong enough Table 1 Estimates of age at which 50% and 80% of population reach a 3% risk of a vascular event within the next five years and 1% risk in one year Age (years) Never smoked Current smokers All Men* 3% risk in 5 years: 50% 46 38 42 80% 55 44 49 1% risk in 1 year: 50% 60 50 54 80% 68 56 62 Women † 50% at 3% risk in 5 years 53 47 50 50% at 1% risk in 1 year ≥65 55 62 *Results obtained by applying Framingham risk assessment formula 5 to 2258 men in Caerphilly cohort 7 using baseline values of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure.Men who had had a stroke (17) or a myocardial infarction ( 246) before the study period were excluded.†Results in women were obtained by the application of the Framingham formula to grouped data for 550 women in the Heart Beat Wales survey.7 Evidence on previous vascular events was not available.