Study: Blood thinners reduce Covid deaths

A study conducted on 6,195 patients by the University of Minnesota, the University of Basel, Switzerland and Columbia University found that patients who were prescribed blood thinners before being diagnosed with Covid were less likely to be hospitalized despite being older and having more chronic medical conditions than their peers. was admitted. .

The study, claimed to be the world’s largest on the role of blood thinners in COVID, evaluated patients over the age of 18 from March 4 to August 27, 2020, from 12 hospitals and 60 clinics in the US.

The scientists examined the relationship between 90-day anticoagulation therapy before COVID diagnosis and the risk of hospitalization and mortality and the risk of inpatient anticoagulation therapy and mortality risk.

The study said, “Blood thinners—whether they are being used prior to being infected with COVID or initiated upon hospitalization for COVID treatment—reduce deaths by almost half. ” The dosage of the drug used.

According to scientific evidence, some people with covid develop abnormal blood clots, including in the smallest blood vessels. Clots can also form in many places in the body, including the lungs. This abnormal clotting can lead to various complications, including organ damage, heart attack and stroke. The researchers said that high levels of inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to clotting. A high level of inflammation can affect multiple organs and result in severe disease. People who have already damaged blood vessels from diabetes or high blood pressure may be at higher risk of blood clots, the scientists said.

“We know that COVID causes blood clots which can kill patients. But, do blood thinners save lives in COVID-19? Blood thinners are drugs that are prescribed to patients to prevent blood clots in their lungs or legs. They also prevent blood clots in the brain from abnormal heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation. Blood thinners are the standard of treatment in these diseases, which is why we looked at the data to see if it affected Covid-related hospitals,” said lead author Sameh Hozayne, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Professor.

“We already know that overwhelmed hospitals have a higher risk of death in their patients, so reducing hospitalizations can have a positive impact during the growth of COVID-19,” Hozayne said.