Risk of gastrointestinal haemorrhage with long term use of aspirin as an antiplatelet agent

Long-term therapy with aspirin as an antiplatelet agent is associated with increas in the incidence of gastrointestinal haemorrhage (2.47% versus 1.42% on placebo), based on an average of 28 months therapy.

A systematic review including 24 studies with a total of 65 987 subjects was abstracted in DARE.

All 24 trials were double-blind and placebo-controlled. Gastrointestinal haemorrhage occurred in 2.47% of patients taking aspirin compared with 1.42% taking placebo (OR 1.68, 95% CI1.51 to 1.88). The NNH was 106 (95% CI 82 to 140), based on an average of 28 months therapy.

At doses below 163 mg/day, gastrointestinal haemorrhage occurred in 2.30% of patients taking

aspirin, compared with 1.45% taking placebo (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.81). Meta-regression showed no relation between gastrointestinal haemorrhage and dose. Omitting the two largest trials did not significantly change the results.

Ədəbiyyat

1. Derry S, Loke YK. Risk of gastrointestinal haemorrhage with long term use of aspirin: meta-analysis. BMJ 2000 Nov 11;321(7270):1183-7.