Design and Rationale for the ASSOS Study: Appropriateness of Aspirin Use in Medical Outpatients; A Multicenter and Observational Study

Abstract

Objective:The aim of this study was to describe the current status of aspirin use and the demographic characteristics of patients on aspirin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.Methods:The Appropriateness of Aspirin Use in Medical Outpatients: A Multicenter, Observational Study (ASSOS) trial was a multicenter, cross-sectional, and observational study conducted in Turkey. The study was planned to include 5000 patients from 14 cities in Turkey. The data were collected at one visit, and the current clinical practice regarding aspirin use was evaluated (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03387384).Results:The study enrolled all consecutive patients who were admitted to the outpatient cardiology clinics from March 2018 until June 2018. Patients should be at least 18 years old, have signed written informed consent, and on aspirin (80–325 mg) therapy within the last 30 days. Cardiologists from the hospital participates in the study. Patients were divided into 2 categories according to presence or absence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, namely secondary prevention group and primary prevention group, respectively. The appropriate use of aspirin in the primary and secondary prevention groups was assessed according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines and US Preventive Services Task Force. The patients’ gastrointestinal bleeding risk factors and colorectal cancer risk were evaluated.Conclusion:The ASSOS registry will be the most comprehensive and largest study in Turkey evaluating the appropriateness of aspirin use. The results of this study help understand the potential misuse of aspirin in a real-world setting.

An Evaluation of Aspirin Treatment Preferences ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION of Physicians in Hypertensive Patients in Terms of Current Guidelines: A Subgroup Analysis of the ASSOS Trial in Turkey

“…The ASSOS trial 10 is an observational, cross-sectional, national registry study. The study data were obtained between March 1, 2018, and June 31, 2018, from all consecutive patients who consulted to an outpatient cardiology clinic and were administered aspirin treatment.…”

“…The evaluation of the use of aspirin in actual clinical practice was first carried out in a study titled “Appropriateness of Aspirin Use in Medical Outpatients: A Multicenter, Observational Study” (ASSOS trial). 10 The present study aims to investigate the use of aspirin in patients with and without HT, the association between aspirin and other CV risk factors, the outcomes of the physicians’ adherence to current guidelines regarding their aspirin treatment preferences in clinical practice by using a large data set from the ASSOS trial carried out in Turkey.…”

Inappropriate Use of Aspirin in Real-Life Cardiology Practice: Results from the Appropriateness of Aspirin Use in Medical Outpatients: A Multicenter, Observational Study (ASSOS) Study

“…The design of the ASSOS trial has already been described in detail. 13 In brief, the ASSOS study is an observational and cross-sectional national registry study. In this study,30 cardiologists performed it in 14 different cities, and the data were collected during a routine ambulatory visit from March 1, 2018 to June 31, 2018.…”

Aterosklerotik Hastalığın Primer Korumasında Aspirin Kullanımının Uygunluğu: ASSOS Çalışmasının Altgrup Analizi

“…ASSOS çalışması olarak adlandırılan çalışmamız çok merkezli, gözlemsel, kesitsel ve kohort çalışmasıdır (7) İstatistiksel değerlendirmede sürekli değişkenler ortalama±standard sapma ile gösterildi. Kategorik değişkenler frekans ve yüzde olarak gösterildi.…”