The use of low-dose aspirin may reduce the admission of ICUs and hospital deaths of COVID-19 patients, according to a new study.
Researchers at George Washington University on Wednesday published their findings, which point to the lung-protective effects of the affordable, over-the-counter pills, in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.
Doctors were particularly interested in studying the effect of aspirin on patients with coronavirus, as it is one of the cheapest and most common drugs. Other drugs to treat COVID-19, such as remdesivir, can be excessively expensive.
COVID-19 is associated with higher risk of blood clots for some patients – aspirin is a well-known blood thinner and anti-platelet medication, which arouses researchers’ interest in studying the drug.
“Our hospitals were overwhelmed, patients were dying at an alarmingly high rate, and I slept in my office so we could care for our COVID ICU patients 24 hours a day.” Did the author, dr. Jonathan Chow, said. Friday. “The uncertainty scared us about what might come next. Despite this, we knew we had to look at science and the data to see what medicine was available to give these patients hope.”
However, its effect on ventilation, uptake of the ICU and mortality rates has not been studied, researchers said.
“When we inquired about the link between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin – used to prevent stroke and heart attack – could be important for COVID-19 patients,” Chow said in a statement. “Our research found an association between low-dose aspirin and reduced severity of COVID-19 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, the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the Northeast Georgia Health System.
They found that aspirin use resulted in a 44% decrease in ventilator use, a 43% decrease in ICU uptake, and a 47% decrease in hospital deaths.
“COVID-19 has been shown to cause excess platelets through the body, which in turn causes the formation of microclumps in the lungs and larger blood clots in the large blood vessels. Aspirin is a COX-1 inhibitor that reduces platelet aggregation and thrombosis. It acts quickly within 30 minutes to 3 hours and then activates platelets for the duration of the platelet, “Chow told CBS News. “We think that due to the anti-platelet properties of aspirin, this has led to the association with improved outcomes, such as the reduced risk of admission to the ICU and the death we observed in our study.”
Chow said he hopes these findings will lead to further research, specifically randomized controlled trials, into the possible link between aspirin use and reduced lung injury in coronavirus patients, as some hospitals are not as good. overwhelm as they were at the beginning of the pandemic.
“Aspirin is cheap, easily accessible and millions are already using it to treat their health conditions,” Chow said. “Finding this association is a great victory for those who want to reduce the risk of some of the most devastating effects of COVID-19.”
Should COVID-19 patients then rush to the pharmacy? Not so fast.
“I would advise all patients with COVID-19 to consult with their primary care physician so that they can properly weigh the risks and benefits. Because aspirin is a blood thinner, the biggest risk is internal bleeding,” Chow said. “While it does not replace vaccines or masks, the association we have found with aspirin is a great victory for those who want to reduce the risk of some of the most devastating effects of COVID-19.”