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Smoking linked to aspirin resistance
There is a strong association between smoking and platelet hyperactivity, which may account a weakened response to aspirin, according to findings in a diverse group of patients in a community hospital. Since aspirin is an important part of heart attack and stroke prevention regimens, medical professionals need to understand how ill-protected people are who smoke.
As reported in the September 2006 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Domanski of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland and colleagues examined aspirin resistance and its predictors in patients who required antiplatelet therapy for prophylaxis of thrombotic events. About a third of the 123 participating patients were smoker ages ranged between 21 to 95 years. About half were women and most were hypertensive with coronary disease.
In all, 66 patients were taking aspirin 81 milligrams per day, and assays showed that eight of these patients (12.1%) did not respond to aspirin treatment. When the dose was increased to 325 milligrams per day, only one remained resistant. In the other 57 patients, who were taking 325 milligrams of aspirin per day, three (5.3%) were resistant. When they were given a 300 milligram loading dose of clopidogrel and assayed 4 hours later, two had become responders.
The investigators found a significant association between aspirin resistance and smoking (risk ratio, 11.47). Thus, they conclude, the finding adds still more weight to the importance of abstinence from smoking.
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