Aspirin therapy in patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction reduces the risk of adverse events and mortality. Studies have demonstrated that aspirin can reduce this risk by 20% (Antiplatelet Trialists' Collaboration, 1994). National guidelines strongly recommend long-term aspirin for the secondary prevention of subsequent cardiovascular events in eligible older patients discharged after AMI (Braunwald, 2002; Antman, 2004; and Smith, 2001). Despite these recommendations, aspirin remains under-utilized in eligible older patients discharged after AMI (Jencks, 2000).

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• National Hospital Quality Measure Specifications Manual
• American Heart Association
• American College of Cardiology

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• Antiplatelet Trialists' Collaboration. Collaborative overview of randomized trials of antiplatelet therapy - I: prevention of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke by prolonged antiplatelet therapy in various categories of patients. BMJ. 1994;308:81-106.
• Antman EM, Anbe DT, Armstrong PW, Bates ER, Green LA, Hand M, Hochman JS, Krumholz HM, Kushner FG, Lamas GA, Mullany CJ, Ornato JP, Pearle DL, Sloan MA, Smith SC Jr. ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee to Revise the 1999 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction). 2004.
• Braunwald E, Antman EM, Beasley JW, Califf RM, Cheitlin MD, Hochman JS, Jones RH, Kereiakes D, Kupersmith J, Levin TN, Pepline CJ, Schaeffer JW, Smith EE III, Steward DE, Theroux P. ACC/AHA 2002 guideline update for the management of patients with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on the Management of Patients with Unstable Angina). 2002.
• Jencks SJ, Cuerdon T, Burwen DR, Fleming B, Houck PM, Kussmaul AE, Nilasena DS, Ordin DL, Arday DR. Quality of medical care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries: a profile at state and national levels. JAMA. 2000;284:1670-1676.
• Krumholz HM, Anderson JL, Brooks NH, Fesmir FM, Lambrew CT, Landrum MB, Weaver WD, Whyte J. ACC/AHA Clinical Performance Measures for Adults With ST-Elevation and Non–ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: a report of the ACC/AHA Task Force on Performance Measures (ST-Elevation and Non–ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Performance Measures Writing Committee). J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;47:236–65. Available at http://www.acc.org and http://www.americanheart.org.
• Smith SC Jr, Blair SN, Bonow RO, Brass LM, Cerqueira MD, Dracup K, Fuster V, Gotto A, Grundy SM, Miller NH, Jacobs A, Jones D, Krauss RM, Mosca L, Ockene I, Pasternak RC, Pearson T, Pfeffer MA, Starke RD, Taubert KA. AHA/ACC guidelines for preventing heart attack and death in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: 2001 update. A statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. Circulation. 2001;104:1577-79. Available at http://www.acc.org and http://www.americanheart.org.

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