Aspirin is a widely used over-the-counter medication. Wikipedia reports that aspirin, which is also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is a salicylate drug, which is often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic in order to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin was discovered by Arthur Eichengrün, a chemist with the German company Bayer.
Aspirin also has an antiplatelet effect due to inhibiting the production of thromboxane, which under normal circumstances binds platelet molecules together in order to create a patch over damaged walls of blood vessels. Doug Brunk has reported for Internal Medicine News Digital Network "Aspirin Reduces Risk of Recurrent Blood Clots."
In a recent study aspirin reduced the risk of recurrent symptomatic venous thromboembolism by approximately 40% when it was given over a 2-year period following 6-12 months of warfarin therapy, with no apparent increase in major bleeding episodes. These findings suggest that aspirin is a valid alternative to oral anticoagulants for the extended treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Lead author Dr. Cecilia Becattini, an internist in the stroke unit at the University of Perugia in Italy has said "This has great implications for clinical practice because many patients on anticoagulant treatment after a first-ever VTE are stopped after the initial 6 months of therapy and then they receive nothing for secondary prevention. Maybe aspirin is a great opportunity for VTE prevention instead of nothing, because warfarin has the complication of major bleeding."
During the course of the on-treatment study period, which was a mean of 22 months, there was a VTE recurrence in 23 patients in the aspirin group (5.9% per patient-year) and in 39 patients in the placebo group (11% per patient-year). One case of major bleeding occurred in each group and three cases of clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding occurred in each group. Six deaths occurred in the aspirin group (1.4% per patient-year) and five deaths occurred in the placebo group (1.3% per patient-year), with a difference that was not statistically significant.
Dr. Charles S. Abrams, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, called the study findings "intriguing" and said that a larger trial will be needed to confirm the findings. And Dr. Becattini has acknowledged that a larger confirmatory trial is needed before the use of aspirin for extended treatment of VTE can be recommended.
