Mary McGrae McDermott, M.D., of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and a contributing editor of JAMA, and Michael H. Criqui, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, write that more research is needed regarding the outcomes of aspirin use by patients with PAD.

"The meta-analysis by Berger et al enriches current understanding of the association of aspirin with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with PAD. However, based on the limitations of data available, the findings should not alter recommendations for aspirin as an important therapeutic tool for secondary prevention in patients with PAD. To best inform evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, more high-quality clinical trials are needed. Achieving this will require greater resources for research and a larger critical mass of clinical investigators dedicated to the study of PAD."

JAMA. 2009;301[18]:1927-1928.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association