Antiplatelet therapy is often improperly dispensed to acutely hospitalized elderly patients, according to research recently published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

“There is little evidence favoring [antiplatelet] use in the frame of primary prevention, because several studies have shown less benefits than risks,” Ilaria Ardoino, PhD, of the department of clinical sciences and community health at the University of Milan, and colleagues wrote. “Thus, a careful risk/benefit appraisal is warranted for the optimal prescription of antiplatelet drugs in older people.”