In reply: Recruitment to clinical trials through general practice is representative of the population, as a high proportion of all Australians regularly attend their general practitioners.1 GP co-investigators are appropriate to decide whether their patients are suitable for the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) study because their assessment includes objective inclusion and exclusion criteria that must be satisfied before enrolment in the study (clinical trial registration number ISRCTN83772183),2 as well as patient-specific potential risks with using aspirin, and known medical factors likely to influence patient survival during the trial. These include the risk of complicated peptic ulcer disease in patients with diabetes treated with a sulfonylurea.3 GP co-investigators support participation in ASPREE by eligible patients because of aspirin’s therapeutic equipoise for primary prevention in older patients4 and in those with diabetes.5
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