Aspirin may reduce the risks of reoccurring blood clots

Aspirin may be a promising alternative for those who can’t take long-term anticoagulant drugs that prevent clots from reoccurring in the veins, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

In a combined analysis of two similar independent studies, 1,224 patients who received 100mg of aspirin a day to treat blood clots were monitored for at least two years. In the International Collaboration of Aspirin Trials for Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism or INSPIRE analysis, researchers found that aspirin reduced the risk of recurring blood clots by up to 42%.

According to researchers, without treatment, people who have blood clots in their veins with no obvious cause have on average a 10% risk of another clot within the first year and a 5% risk per year thereafter.