Study: Popular Drug May Reduce Risk of Complications and Death in COVID-19 Patients



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Patients taking aspirin have a lower risk of being in the intensive care unit or being hooked up to a mechanical ventilator, and have a better chance of surviving infection than those who are hospitalized but not receiving aspirin treatment. The study’s findings, published in the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia, emphasize that the fact that such an inexpensive and widely available drug can provide so many benefits is cause for “cautious optimism” that the drug prevents serious complications and can save many lives . .

“This is a very important discovery that should be tested in a randomized clinical trial. If our hypothesis is confirmed, it means that aspirin is an over-the-counter drug that will reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients, “says Jonathan Chow, study author and professor of anesthesiology.

In the study, Chow and his colleagues analyzed the medical histories of 412 COVID-19 patients, with a mean age of 55, who had been hospitalized for complications from the coronavirus in recent months. All were treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center Hospital in Baltimore and three other East Coast hospitals. About a quarter of the patients also received a low dose of aspirin (about 81 milligrams) each day, some before being in the hospital and others only in the hospital.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus

The researchers found that aspirin was associated with 44 percent. lower risk of artificial lung ventilation and 43 percent. lower risk of being admitted to the intensive care unit. More importantly, aspirin use is associated with a 47% lower risk of death (compared to those not taking this drug).

The researchers considered several factors that may have played a role in the patient’s condition, including age, sex, body mass index, race, hypertension, and diabetes. Attention has also been paid to kidney and liver diseases and the use of medications to control blood pressure.

COVID-19 infections increase the risk of blood clots, which can form in the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and other organs. In rare cases, complications from blood clots lead to heart attack, stroke, visceral disorders, and even death.

Doctors often recommend the use of low-dose aspirin in patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke caused by a blood clot as a preventive measure. Daily use of aspirin is by no means innocent: it can cause internal bleeding or stomach ulcers.

“We believe that anticoagulant aspirin is beneficial for COVID-19 patients because it prevents the formation of small clots. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 could take aspirin in consultation with their doctor, ”says Michael A. Mazzeffi, one of the study authors. People at increased risk of bleeding due to chronic kidney disease, or patients taking common medications, such as steroids or blood thinners, should not take aspirin, the expert warns.

The study also included experts from Wake Forest School of Medicine, George Washington School of Medicine, Northeast Georgia Health System, and Walter Reed State Military Medical Hospital.

“This study is the latest contribution to our medical school’s great work to find ways to effectively treat COVID-19 and save patients’ lives. Although research is still needed to show that aspirin helps overcome COVID-19 , current evidence suggests that patients can already discuss aspirin use with their doctors, “says Albert Reece of Baltimore Medicine. Akiko K. Bowers, University of Maryland School of Medicine.

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