Aspirin to Target Arterial Events in Chronic Kidney Disease

This study aims to find out whether people with chronic kidney disease \[CKD\] should take low dose aspirin to reduce the risk of first heart attack or stroke (cardiovascular disease \[CVD\]). CKD is common and is associated with an increased risk of CVD. CVD is caused by small blood clots and aspirin thins the blood to reduce the risk of such clots developing but it also increases the risk of bleeding. Aspirin is recommended to prevent further CVD in people who have already had a first CVD event (so called secondary prevention). Here the investigators want to study the use of aspirin as primary prevention in people with CKD who have not had a CVD to prevent the first event, to assess whether the potential benefits exceed the risks. Eligible patients will be recruited from their United Kingdom (UK) general practices and allocated by chance to be prescribed once daily low dose aspirin or usual care only. Follow-up will be for several years both electronically (for general practice, hospital and mortality data) and by annual questionnaires to ascertain CVD and bleeding events.