Aspirin reduces risk of preeclampsia, premature delivery, and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Aspirin modestly reduces the risk of preeclampsia, premature delivery, and serious adverse pregnancy outcomes in at-risk women, according to a meta-analysis published online May 17 in the Lancet.

Lisa M. Askie, PhD, from the University of Sydney in Australia, and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 31 randomized clinical trials of antiplatelet agents to prevent preeclampsia. The trials involved 32,217 women and 32,819 infants, and 98% of women were in trials of 50 to 150 mg of aspirin alone per day.

The researchers found that women receiving antiplatelet agents had a reduced risk of preeclampsia (RR, 0.90), a reduced risk of delivering before 34 weeks (RR, 0.90), and a reduced risk of having a serious adverse outcome (RR, 0.90). Antiplatelet agents did not significantly affect the risk of death in fetus or infant, having a small-for-gestational-age infant, or bleeding in the women or their infants.

Askie LM, Duley L, Henderson-Smart DJ, et al. Antiplatelet agents for prevention of pre-eclampsia: a meta-analysis of individual patient data. Lancet. 2007;369:1791-1798.