Using low-dose aspirin may reduce IC admissions and the number of in-hospital deaths of COVID-19 patients, according to a new study.
Researchers at George Washington University published their findings, pointing to the lung-protective effects of the affordable, over-the-counter pills, Wednesday in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.
Doctors were particularly interested in studying the effects of aspirin on coronavirus patients, as it is one of the cheapest and most widely available drugs. Other medicines to treat COVID-19, such as remdesivir, can be prohibitively expensive.
COVID-19 has been associated with an increased risk of blood clots in some patients – aspirin is a well-known blood thinner and anti-platelet drug, sparking the interest of researchers to further study the drug.
“Our hospitals were overwhelmed, patients were dying at an alarming rate, and I slept in my office so that we could provide 24/7 care for our COVID ICU patients at night,” said study author Dr. Jonathan Chow at CBS News Friday. “The uncertainty frightened us of what was to come. Nevertheless, we knew we had to look at the science and the data to see what therapies were available to give these patients hope.”
However, the effects on ventilation, ICU admission and death rates have not been studied, researchers said.
“When we heard about the link between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin – used to prevent stroke and heart attacks – could be important for COVID-19 patients,” Chow said in a statement. “Our study found an association between low-dose aspirin and reduced COVID-19 severity and death.”
Researchers studied more than 400 patients admitted to hospitals across the country from March to July 2020, including GW Hospital, the University of Maryland Medical Center, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and Northeast Georgia Health System.
They found that the use of aspirin led to a 44% decrease in ventilator use, a 43% decrease in IC admission and a 47% decrease in hospital mortality.
“COVID-19 has been shown to cause excess platelets throughout the body, which in turn causes microclots to form in the lungs and larger blood clots in large blood vessels. Aspirin is a COX-1 inhibitor that decreases platelet aggregation and thrombus. acts quickly within 30 minutes to 3 hours and then inactivates platelets for the lifetime of the platelets, “Chow told CBS News. “We think it is because of aspirin’s antiplatelet properties that led to the association with improved outcomes, such as the reduced risk of ICU admission and death, that we observed in our study.”
Chow said he hopes these findings lead to further research, particularly randomized controlled trials, into the possible link between aspirin use and reduced lung injury in coronavirus patients, now that some hospitals are not. overwhelmed as they were at the start of the pandemic.
“Aspirin is cheap, readily available, and millions of people are already using it to treat their health problems,” Chow said. “Finding this association is a huge win for those looking to reduce the risk of some of COVID-19’s most devastating effects.”
So should COVID-19 patients race to the pharmacy? Not so fast.
“I would recommend all patients with COVID-19 to see their primary care physician so that they can properly weigh the risks and benefits. Because aspirin is a blood thinner, the greatest risk is internal bleeding,” Chow said. “While not a replacement for vaccines or masks, the association we have found with aspirin is a huge win for those looking to reduce the risk of some of COVID-19’s most devastating effects.”