Heart doctors: Rely on the evidence

USA Today, February 25, 2009

Many of the treatment guidelines doctors follow when caring for heart patients are not based on conclusive research, a new study says. Doctors say the study highlights a lack of scientific evidence underlying complex treatment questions, including how much aspirin to prescribe for heart attack prevention, how best to treat heart valve disease, and when to choose angioplasty over bypass surgery. Research shows that patients do best when doctors follow guidelines based on scientific evidence, and the American Heart Association has adopted a "Get With the Guidelines" program to encourage that approach.