Aspirin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in a General Population Screened for a Low Ankle Brachial Index<subtitle>A Randomized Controlled Trial</subtitle>

CONTEXT: A low ankle brachial index (ABI) indicates atherosclerosis and an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Screening for a low ABI can identify an asymptomatic higher risk group potentially amenable to preventive treatments. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of aspirin in preventing events in people with a low ABI identified on screening the general population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis trial was an intention-to-treat double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted from April 1998 to October 2008, involving 28,980 men and women aged 50 to 75 years living in central Scotland, free of clinical cardiovascular disease,…