Is it true that people who take aspirin daily are less likely to die of Covid-19?

New studies suggest that taking aspirin can reduce the risk of serious illness or death in hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

Researchers have found that daily low-dose pills can reduce the chances of being hospitalized in the ICU or on a ventilator by more than 40%. In addition, it reduced the risk of death from infection by almost half compared to those who did not take the drug.

According to experts at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), the findings give rise to “cautious optimism” in using aspirin to prevent the serious complications caused by Covid-19.

Cheap over-the-counter medications available at supermarkets and gas stations are used to relieve headaches, duration, muscle damage, mild pain, pain and fever caused by colds, flu and arthritis.

People also use it as an anticoagulant to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and to control the condition of the heart. Experts say that Covid-19 benefits from aspirin, which prevents blood clotting, given that the disease can cause “sticky blood,” which can lead to fatal occlusion of arteries. I believe it could be an ability.

However, aspirin is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). This is a group of medicines that are in the limelight for fear that they may exacerbate the symptoms of Covid-19 during a pandemic.

Some studies claim that NSAIDs, including paracetamol and ibuprofen, are more likely to kill hospitalized coronavirus patients. However, health directors claim that there is “no clear evidence” that they pose a risk.

The latest study looked only at the effects of aspirin and analyzed data from people who were already taking medication to control heart disease.

UMSOM researchers examined the medical records of 412 Covid-19 patients treated at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and three other hospitals along the east coast.

About a quarter of participants took low doses of aspirin daily before or shortly after being hospitalized for the disease.

Studies show that people who used aspirin daily had a 43% lower risk of being admitted to the ICU. It also reduces the risk of having to connect to a ventilator.

The results also showed that, most importantly, aspirin reduced the risk of dying in the hospital by about 47 percent compared to those who did not take aspirin.

“This is an important finding that needs to be confirmed through randomized clinical trials,” said Dr. Jonathan Chow, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at UMSOM and research leader.

“If our findings are confirmed, it will make aspirin the first widely available over-the-counter drug to reduce mortality in Covid-19 patients.”

The findings were true even after researchers managed several factors that could increase risk, such as age, gender, race, obesity index, and underlying illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

There was no difference between patients in the aspirin and non-aspirin groups for so-called adverse events such as major bleeding.

Covid-19 increases the risk of dangerous and often fatal blood clots that can form in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

This can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and multiple organ failure, which are responsible for the majority of Covid-19 deaths.

Studies have shown that up to 30% of hospitalized Covid-19 patients suffer from blood clots. But doctors are just beginning to understand why.

Scientists at the University of Utah suggested in July that inflammation caused by the coronavirus could cause changes in blood behavior, making platelets more “overactive” and ready to stick to each other. ..

Other researchers have suggested that an immune overreaction called a “cytokine storm” damages healthy tissue. When blood vessels are affected, they leak, lower blood pressure, and increase the likelihood of blood clots forming.

Aspirin interferes with the formation of blood clots. This may be the reason why this drug has potential benefits for patients with Covid-19.

“We believe that the anticoagulant effect of aspirin benefits Covid-19 patients by preventing the formation of microclots,” said Dr. Michael Mazzeffi, an associate professor of anesthesiology and co-author of the UMSOM study. I am.

“Patients diagnosed with Covid-19 are advised to consider taking aspirin daily, as long as they first check with their doctor.”

The team added that aspirin is not intended to be used as a preventative measure against the coronavirus, but can help patients at the highest risk of complications.

“This study adds to the tremendous work our researchers are doing in medical school to find new treatments for Covid-19 and save patients’ lives,” said the USOM Dean. A DRE. Albert Reese says.

“Confirmation studies are needed to prove that the use of aspirin leads to better results for Covid-19, but the evidence so far is that even if patients take aspirin to prevent serious complications. It suggests that you may want to discuss with your doctor whether it is safe or not.

The study, published in the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia, follows the controversy that anti-inflammatory drugs can actually exacerbate Covid-19 in people with mild symptoms early in the pandemic.

The NHS has temporarily removed the advice to remove the coronavirus ibuprofen from its website as a precautionary measure in the face of drug safety concerns.

Sir Patrick Valence, the government’s chief scientific adviser, admitted that it was “wise” not to take ibuprofen until the science was revealed.

Since then, South Korean researchers have said that NSAIDs can increase the risk of death by 65% ​​and increase the risk of serious heart or kidney complications by 85%.

Scientists at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea, have studied a total of 1,824 inpatients infected with Covid-19.

Patients who had been prescribed NSAIDs for the 7 days prior to participating in the study were more likely to die of the coronavirus. However, aspirin was not included in this study.

Studies in animals have shown that NSAIDs appear to increase the amount of specific receptors in the body known as ACE-2 receptors, which are doormen that allow coronavirus to enter the body, according to the researchers. ..

However, researchers in London pointed out contradictory animal studies.

King’s College London is looking at whether ibuprofen can specifically treat Covid-19 in a group of inpatients.

Mitul Mehta, a professor of neuroimaging and psychopharmacology at King’s College London, found that about 80% of animals in this condition died in animal studies on acute respiratory distress syndrome (a complication of Covid-19 disease). is showing.

However, administration of this special ibuprofen preparation increases survival to 80%. This is a 4x improvement.

The same team reviewed 13 scientific studies on the effects of NSAIDs in March and found no evidence for or against their use. It was not clear whether the studies they reviewed focused on aspirin.

However, the team said the medical evidence was “not definitive.”

They wrote online in their dissertation: ‘Since the outbreak of the new Covid-19 infection, various contradictory information has been disseminated regarding the potential adverse effects of treating patients with NSAIDs.

“Our study did not identify strong evidence specifically for or against the use of ibuprofen in the treatment of Covid-19.

“Current literature does not provide conclusive evidence for or against the use of NSAIDs in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.”