Effects of acetylsalicylic acid in preterm preeclampsia prevention

Abstract

Acetylsalicylic acid, classified under the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) has well known anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic properties, anti-platelet aggregation effect and analgesic properties. Preeclampsia (PE) is a pathology of pregnancy characterized by the onset of hypertension and often accompanied by the lost of significant amount of protein in the urine. In pregnant women with risk of preeclampsia, low doses of aspirin have been shown to have a beneficial effect on the incidence of this disorder. Using a retrospective design, we screened for preeclampsia all pregnancies followed in a time interval of 2 years. We have observed that in preeclampsia high risk patients based on the screening done between 11 to 13 weeks and 6 days, the administration of low doses of acetylsalicylic acid reduced the burden of disease. Identifying the pregnancy having high risk for preeclampsia in the first trimester helps us in decision making for initiating prophylactic treatment with Aspirin.