Study states no evidence aspirin boosts IVF success
Women undergoing (IVF) are often told that a daily aspirin will help boost the odds of success.New research has found no evidence that taking aspirin can increase the chances of IVF treatment being successful. Women have been told that taking a daily dose of aspirin can help during IVF treatment.
However, the results from 13 international studies found that a low daily dose of aspirin had no clear effect on IVF pregnancy or subsequent birth rates.
Three of the studies analysed birth rates. Of 525 women who used aspirin during their IVF treatment cycle, 108 gave birth.
But the odds of success were similar among women not given aspirin: of those 528 women, 119 gave birth.
"Couples undergoing IVF often feel so desperate that they are prepared to try anything that may improve their chances of conceiving," said lead researcher Dr. Charalambos Siristatidis, of the University of Athens.
"But given the current evidence," he said, "there is still no basis to recommend that women take aspirin to help them become pregnant."
Aspirin theory
The theory behind aspirin is that it improves IVF success by boosting blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. It is also said to help by preventing blood clots in the vessels of the placenta.
There is a small minority of women who have repeat miscarriages due to problems with blood clotting, said Dr. Roger Lobo, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University in New York.
If a woman undergoing IVF has blood-clotting issues, then aspirin or other blood-thinners may help, said Lobo.
However for most women undergoing IVF, "it's really the embryo quality that's the major factor. So I'm not surprised that aspirin shows no benefit overall."
One of the larger studies that looked only at pregnancy rates did suggest a benefit. Of 300 women, the pregnancy rate among aspirin users was 45 percent, versus 28 percent of women not on aspirin.
But when the researchers combined the results of different studies, they found no overall effect on women's pregnancy or birth rates, or on their risk of miscarriage.
Risks
Many couples undergoing infertility treatment are desperate to try anything that could raise their chances of having a baby. But even low-dose aspirin can have risks, including gastrointestinal bleeding.
"Based on the evidence, there really appears to be no benefit from using aspirin," Lobo said. "And if you add to that the fact that there are risks, it probably shouldn't be done."
Read more at: reuters.com