Let’s Talk About It: Starting Aspirin to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke (PDF File, 187 KB; PDF Help)
To support implementation of the recommendation on Aspirin to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), the Task Force created a companion guide to facilitate meaningful discussions between healthcare professionals and their patients. The first page of the guide is intended for patients. It outlines basic information about the benefits and harms of aspirin use to prevent a first heart attack or stroke and lists important questions for patients ages 40 to 59 and 60 and older to ask their healthcare professionals about starting aspirin use. The second page provides additional information about the recommendation, including how to assess CVD risk and bleeding risk. While primarily a reference for healthcare professionals, it can also be shared with patients, when appropriate.
Healthcare professionals are encouraged to use this guide as a conversation starter with their patients. This guide is not intended to serve as a risk assessment tool or decision aid.