The Effectiveness of Low Dose Aspirin for Preventing Preeclampsia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: To review published literature on the effectiveness of low dose aspirin (LDA) as a preventative treatment for preeclampsia. Methods: Literature on LDA interventions for preeclampsia was gathered from PubMed and summarized. Results: Study findings varied regarding the effectiveness of LDA as a prevention for preeclampsia, however most studies showed some benefit to the intervention. Groups for which LDA was most effective as a prevention included pregnant women with stage 1 hypertension and nulliparous women. Conclusion: LDA can be used as a preventive treatment for preeclampsia, but its effectiveness varies among the population of pregnant women. Why it works well in some groups at high risk for preeclampsia and not others need to be analyzed further. The benefit of LDA intervention outweighs the risk in many cases and the use of aspirin was not found to be harmful. Key Words: Preeclampsia; nulliparous; normotensive; hypertension