Consensus is urgently required

doi:10.1136/bmj.b2718

Published 8 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2718
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2718

Letters

Aspirin for primary prevention

Consensus is urgently required

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In his editorial on aspirin for preventing cardiovascular events,Hewitt is adamant that clinicians and guideline developers shouldheed the evidence and not use aspirin for primary preventionof cardiovascular events.¹ The recent guideline on the managementof type 2 diabetes from the National Institute for Health andClinical Excellence (NICE) continues to advocate the use ofaspirin for this indication.²

The NICE guideline development team criticises the recent trialsand advocates no change in the use of aspirin for primary preventionin both diabetic and non-diabetic patients (J Fahie, personalcommunication, June 2009).

How then am I to advise my patients, many of whom are awareof the controversy through media coverage? Either the evidencepoints clearly in one direction or it does not. I can live withuncertainty and use my clinical judgment accordingly. However,diametrically opposed views from respected and eminent sourcesare unhelpful. Consensus is urgently . . . [Full text of this article]

Chris J Hall, general practitioner¹

¹ West Common Lane Medical Centre, Scunthorpe DN17 1YH

christopher.hall@nlpct.nhs.uk