Prior Aspirin Use and Outcomes in Elderly Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objectives We sought to assess the association between prior aspirin use and mortality, all-cause readmission, and condition-specific readmission at one month and six months in a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with a confirmed myocardial infarction (MI). Background Prior aspirin use is considered a marker of higher risk in patients with MI, yet the prognostic significance of this factor has been debated. Methods Medicare beneficiaries ≥65 years old hospitalized with MI were evaluated to determine whether there was an association between prior aspirin use and mortality (n = 118,992), all-cause readmission, and condition-specific readmission (n = 78,975) at one month and six months. Results One-third of the patients (n = 39,531, 33.2%) were using aspirin before admission. Those with prior aspirin use had significantly lower mortality at one month (16.1% vs. 19.0%, p Conclusions Prior aspirin use is not a marker of increased mortality in patients ≥65 years old hospitalized with MI.