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People who become seriously ill with COVID-19 are at risk of developing clots that block their blood vessels
Platelet inhibitors such as aspirin have little effect on the need for respiratory or blood pressure support in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in intensive care, but they may increase survival in the following months according to the latest results of the international REMAP-CAP study .
People who become seriously ill with COVID-19 are at risk of developing clots that block their blood vessels and can lead to potentially fatal organ damage. Researchers want to know whether this process can be prevented by treating patients with blood-thinning drugs in the form of platelet inhibitors. The REMAP-CAP adaptive clinical trial involved 1,557 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with severe COVID-19 in 105 hospitals in Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Nepal, the Netherlands and The United Kingdom. Some of them received aspirin, others received another platelet inhibitor (clopidogrel) and a third group received no platelet inhibitor.
Better 3-month survival
The main objective of the study was to investigate how these drugs affected the length of time patients needed organ support (such as ventilator support) in the ICU. The researchers found that the short-term results were comparable whether or not the patient was treated with a platelet inhibitor. The researchers continued to monitor each patient’s progress for 3 months and found that those treated with a platelet inhibitor were more likely to survive for this longer time (70.5 percent survival compared to 67.3 percent in patients who received antiplatelet therapy). were not treated with a platelet inhibitor).
dr. Charlotte Bradbury, lead author of the paper now published in JAMA, and associate professor at the University of Bristol’s Medical School in Bristol (UK) said: “These promising results are the result of an incredible international research collaboration, and we are the especially grateful to patients who participated. Interestingly, platelet inhibitors appear to improve survival, but do not affect the duration of organ support. Platelet inhibitors may help in some patients, but not all. For example, it appears that patients those already taking high doses of blood thinners such as heparin did not benefit from antiplatelet agents, while patients on lower doses did.”
dr. Lennie Derde of UMC Utrecht chairs the REMAP-CAP International Trial Steering Committee. She said: “COVID-19 and other causes of pneumonia continue to cause people to be hospitalized or even admitted to the ICU. We need to keep learning step by step what the best treatments are for these patients.”
The researchers plan to continue studying the two drugs under investigation (aspirin and clopidogrel) in critically ill patients, focusing on longer-term survival and learning more about which patients are most likely to benefit. to have with this treatment.
REMAP-CAP has received funding from, among others, the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program of the European Union under grant agreement no. 101003589.
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- Name author and/or edited by: UMC Utrecht
- Photographer or photo agency: : INGImages
- Source for this article: : UMC Utrecht
- What is the URL for this resource?: https://www.umcutrecht.nl/nieuws/aspirine-verhoogt-3-maandsoverleving-covid-19
- Original title: Aspirin increases 3-month survival COVID-19
- Target audience: Healthcare professionals
- Date: 2022-03-22