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Abstract Background Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used despite their risk of gastrointestinal bleeding or cardiovascular events. We report the profile of people taking NSAIDs in Spain, and we include demographic factors, health-related behaviours and cardiovascular disease history. Methods Four thousand sixtyparticipants were selected using a pseudorandom number list from Family Practice lists in 12 Spanish provinces. They completed a face-to-face computerized interview on their NSAID consumption, demographic characteristics, body mass index, alcohol and tobacco consumption and medical history. In addition, participants completed a self-administered food-frequency and alcohol consumption questionnaire. Factors associated with ever and current NSAID consumption were identified by logistic regression. Results Women consumed more non-aspirin NSAIDs (38.8% [36.7–41.0]) than men (22.3 [20.5–24.2]), but men consumed more aspirin (11.7% [10.3–13.2]) than women (5.2% [4.3–6.3]). Consumption of non-aspirin NSAIDs decrease with age from 44.2% (39.4–49.1) in younger than 45 to 21.1% (18.3–24.2) in older than 75, but the age-pattern for aspirin usage was the opposite. Aspirin was reported by about 11% patients, as being twice as used in men (11.7%) than in women (5.2%); its consumption increased with age from 1.7% (