Benefit Harm chart for low dose aspirin for the primary prevention
of cardiovascular disease and cancer
Welcome to the online calculator for estimating the benefit harm balance of low dose aspirin for primary prevention
of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The benefit harm chart shows, per women and men, age category and according to 10-year
outcome risks of myocardial infarction and severe gastrointestinal bleeds the likelihood that the benefits (prevention
of severe ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction and cancers) are greater than the harms (severe hemorrhagic stroke
and severe gastrointestinal bleeds). The quantitative benefit harm analyses underlying this benefit harm chart are
reported in Puhan et al. BMC Medicine 2015, 13:250 doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0493-2 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/13/250
Individuals have different values and preferences. For some, it is much more important to avoid a severe stroke,
myocardial infarction or cancer than suffering from a severe gastrointestinal bleed. Others may not want to have
an increased risk for severe gastrointestinal bleeds in order to reduce the chance of a severe stroke, myocardial
infarction or cancer.
This online tool shows how preferences for outcomes have an impact on the benefit harm balance of low dose aspirin.
The green color indicates that the benefits of aspirin exceed the harms, red means that the harms exceed the benefits
and orange means that the benefits and harms are likely to be similar.
Please indicate how important you perceive severe strokes, myocardial infarctions, severe gastrointestinal bleeds and cancers relative to one another.
Please use the sliders to change the importance of these outcomes from your perspective. The starting positions of the sliders reflect the 5-year
survival associated with these outcomes (higher number for lower survival). Please note that your perspective on the importance of these outcomes may
not only consider survival but may also be influenced by your expected quality of life when living with one of these outcomes and short- and long-term
treatments to treat them.
Not important
Extremely important
Severe strokes
Myocardial infarctions
Severe gastro-intestinal bleeds
Not important
Extremely important
Not important
Extremely important
Very severe cancers
Severe cancers
Moderately severe cancers
Not important
Extremely important
Click on table for details
10-year risk for severe GI bleed in %
10-year risk for MI in %
| >12%-15% | | | | | |
| >9%-12% | | | | | |
| >6%-9% | | | | | |
| >3%-6% | | | | | |
| 0%-3% | | | | | |
| 0% -5% | >5% -10% | >10% -15% | >15% -20% | >20% -25% |
| >12%-15% | | | | | |
| >9%-12% | | | | | |
| >6%-9% | | | | | |
| >3%-6% | | | | | |
| 0%-3% | | | | | |
| 0% -5% | >5% -10% | >10% -15% | >15% -20% | >20% -25% |
| >12%-15% | | | | | |
| >9%-12% | | | | | |
| >6%-9% | | | | | |
| >3%-6% | | | | | |
| 0%-3% | | | | | |
| 0% -5% | >5% -10% | >10% -15% | >15% -20% | >20% -25% |
| >12%-15% | | | | | |
| >9%-12% | | | | | |
| >6%-9% | | | | | |
| >3%-6% | | | | | |
| 0%-3% | | | | | |
| 0% -5% | >5% -10% | >10% -15% | >15% -20% | >20% -25% |
Example: -year old with 10-year risks of 17% for MI and 5% for severe gastrointestinal bleed (see caption)
Benefit-Harm-Balance