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Association Between Aspirin Use and Decreased Risk of Pneumonia in Patients With Cardio-Cerebra-Vascular Ischemic Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Ying-Cheng Chen, Yin-Yang Chen, H. Yeh, T-Y. Yeh, Jing-Yang Huang, Pei-Lun Liao, Liang-Tsai Yeh, Shun-Fa Yang et al.

Frontiers in Public Health, 2021

15,784 participants · 4 citations

Abstract

This study evaluated the association between long-term low-dose aspirin use and decreased risk of pneumonia in patients with cardio-cerebra-vascular ischemic diseases (CCVDs). This retrospective cohort study used records from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database of claims made between 1997 and 2013. After propensity score matching (PSM), patients who took a low dose of aspirin for more than 90 days within 1 year of diagnosis with CCVDs were identified as the exposure group (n = 15,784). A matched total of 15,784 individuals without aspirin use were selected for the non-aspirin group. The main outcome was the development of pneumonia after the index date. Multivariable Cox regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were performed to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and cumulative probability of pneumonia. The result after PSM indicated a lower hazard ratio for pneumonia in aspirin users (aHR = 0.890, 95% confidence interval = 0.837–0.945). Therefore, patients with CCVDs who took aspirin had a lower risk of developing pneumonia than those who did not. In conclusion, this population-based cohort study demonstrated that long-term low-dose aspirin use is associated with a slightly decreased risk of pneumonia in patients with CCVDs.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 15,784 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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