Use of Aspirin Among Diabetics - Research Paper Example

Aspirin use for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease in older adults’ and the ‘Use of Aspirin Among Diabetics in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease ‘ ‘Aspirin use for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease in older adults’ ( 2005) by Rondoni et al for the American Health, Are the study methods appropriate and adequate to answer the research question? Yes. The study was attempting to discover how prevalent aspirin consumption was for the purpose of the prevention of coronary heart disease, including patterns of consumption. It was a large study carried out over several years in the context of government advice that aspirin use be discussed by physicians with those patients considered to be at risk. The researchers were able to use both hospital records and death certificates, as well as actual participants, in order to obtain data. Was the study well or poorly designed? It was well designed in that those at risk were chosen to take part and in a way that could easily measure whether this intervention had been successful. There was excellent follow-up of participants so it could be discovered whether the guidelines were the most appropriate. The study setting was relevant? Yes, because participants were chosen from among older poor people. Both black and white were included. These were those who were at some risk of developing coronary heart disease, although they had not already done so. If the participants were appropriately defined, selected representatively, followed? up without significant loss etc..? The participants were appropriately defined and selected representatively from many people in the area. There were losses over this long period as might be expected with this age group, and by 2003 there were only 54% of the original number still in the study, but because of the large initial number of participants ( 2163) this still represented a significant number to study of well over a thousand participants. Use of Aspirin among diabetics in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: need for reliable randomized evidence and astute clinical judgment ‘( 2009) by Herbert et al. Are the study methods appropriate and adequate to answer the research question? Not entirely. The subject was aspirin use among diabetics, a group known to benefit from such therapy. However, although much of the literature search included diabetes based studies, other pieces were of a more general nature, although still concerned with aspirin use, but were not concerned with this specific group. There is a section labeled ‘method’ but no such method is actually described. The researchers were presumably testing the correctness of the guidelines referred to from the Preventive Services Task Force, but this aim is not stated clearly. Only two studies were considered, although there are in fact plenty to choose from. Was the study well or poorly designed? As methods and aims were poorly defined, if at all, it is impossible to tell if this study was well designed to meet its purpose. They quote evidence for instance of aspirin reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, but the evidence used is not specific to diabetics. The study setting was relevant? Only in the sense that the two papers under consideration were both concerned with diabetes and aspirin use. These studies were felt to be both inadequate and inconclusive so did not really add much of value to knowledge on this subject. If the participants were appropriately defined, selected representatively, followed? up without significant loss etc..? There were no participants to be considered, merely two earlier reports. Read More