Korean J Gastroenterol.  2003 Sep;42(3):190-194.

Gastroduodenal Injury in Patients with Low-Dose Enteric Coated Aspirin Treatment

• Lee HL
• Han DS
• Kim JB
• Park JY
• Sohn JH
• Hahm JS
• Ahn YH

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Low-dose aspirin therapy is widely used to prevent cardiovascular thrombotic events. However, the safety of low-dose aspirin therapy in the gastrointestinal tract is uncertain. Our aim was to evaluate endoscopic findings in patients taking low-dose aspirin.
METHODS
Sixty-two patients who received 100 mg enteric coated aspirin daily more than 30 days were included in this study. Patients' medical records and endoscopic data were reviewed retrospectively. As controls, 70 of age- and gender-matched patients who received an endoscopy without gastrointestinal symptoms were employed.
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of gastroduodenal mucosal injury was higher in the aspirin group than in the control group. Erosive gastritis was noted more frequently in the aspirin group than in the control group. However, the prevalence of ulcer was not different between the aspirin group and the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients treated with low-dose aspirin therapy are more likely to have endoscopic evidence of mucosal damage. Our study suggests that even a low-dose aspirin therapy can induce a gastroduodenal mucosal injury. In the future, a prospective randomized control study is needed.

Keyword

Aspirin; Low dose; Mucosal injury; Stomach; Duodenum

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aspirin/administration & dosage/*adverse effects
Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control
Esophagitis/chemically induced
Female
Gastritis/chemically induced
Gastrointestinal Diseases/*chemically induced
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/administration & dosage/*adverse effects
Tablets, Enteric-Coated/adverse effects