Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Published : July 14, 2021 1:30 PM IST
Heparin May Halt Blood Clot Formation And Reduce Covid Death Risk
Covid-19 is characterised by increased inflammation and abnormal clotting in blood vessels, particularly in the lungs, and is thought to contribute to illness progression and mortality. But a new study has found that treatment with blood thinners may reduce death risk in Covid patients.
According to a new study led by investigators at St Michael's Hospital in Canada, and the University of Vermont in the US, early administration of a full dosage of a blood thinner to moderately sick hospitalised patients with Covid-19 may prevent blood clot development and minimise the risk of severe illness and mortality. The researchers highlighted that if a low dose of the blood thinner, heparin is administered to hospitalised patients regularly, then it could stop the formation of blood clots and reduce inflammation.
Mary Cushman, Professor of medicine from Vermont's Larner College of Medicine said, "This study was designed to detect a difference in the primary outcome that included ICU transfer, mechanical ventilation or death." The researchers have observed that therapeutic heparin did not have a statistically significant decreased incidence of death, mechanical ventilation, or ICU hospitalisation when compared to low dosage heparin, which did reduce the chances of all-cause mortality by 78%.
For the study, researchers conducted a randomised investigation to compare the advantages of providing a therapeutic full dose of heparin vs a prophylactic low dosage to moderately sick individuals with Covid-19 who were admitted to hospital wards. As per the study, four patients (1.8%) who received therapeutic heparin died, compared to 18 (7.6%) who received prophylactic heparin. A further meta-analysis provided in the preprint found that therapeutic heparin is helpful in moderately sick hospitalised patients but not in critically ill intensive care unit patients.
Last month, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had issued guidelines, advising physicians not to use heparin to treat rare blood clots and low blood platelets in persons who had received AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Covid vaccine. The EMA's decision to emphasise the ISTH guidelines is consistent with FDA and Centers for Illness Control and Prevention recommendations, which have issued strong warnings against taking heparin in such circumstances, saying that it may worsen the disease.
Heparin is an injectable anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries. It is used to prevent blood clots in patients who have certain medical problems or are having certain medical procedures that increase the likelihood of clot formation. Heparin can also be used to prevent the growth of clots that have already formed in blood arteries, but it cannot be used to reduce the size of clots that have already formed.
(with inputs from IANS)
