Low-dose aspirin may help keep coronavirus patients away from ventilators, decrease their chances of requiring admission to the intensive care unit, and decrease the risk of in-hospital death, according to the results of a new study.
Researchers at George Washington University in a study published last week in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia found that the affordable and easily available drug prevents small blood clots, ultimately protecting the lungs of patients with COVID-19, they said.
For the study, the team analyzed the medical records of more than 400 patients admitted to GW Hospital, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center or the Northeast Georgia Health System between March and July 2020. Some of the patients (about 24%) received aspirin on the first day of admission to one of the hospitals or took it in the seven days prior to admission. About 76% did not take aspirin in the study.
After adjusting for several factors, the team found that aspirin was associated with a 44% reduction in the risk of ventilation, a 43% reduction in the risk of admission to the ICU and a 47% reduction in in-hospital mortality.
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In addition, “there were no differences in major bleeding or evident thrombosis between aspirin users and non-aspirin users,” says a press release about the findings.
“As we learned about the connection between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin – used to prevent strokes and heart attacks – could be important for patients with COVID-19,” Dr. Jonathan Chow, assistant professor of anesthesiology and intensive care medicine and director of the Critical Care Anesthesiology Fellowship at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said in a statement. “Our research found an association between low-dose aspirin and decreased COVID-19 severity and death.”
That said, the study was observational, meaning that one group did not receive aspirin on purpose, while another received a placebo.
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Still, the findings are in line with other research on the topic. In a study published last month in PLOS One that involved about 30,000 U.S. veterans, the researchers also found a significant reduction in the risk of death from the new virus in those who already took aspirin daily compared to those who did not.
“Aspirin is low-cost, easily accessible and millions are already using it to treat their health problems,” he added. “Finding this association is a major victory for those looking to reduce the risk of some of the most devastating effects of COVID-19.”