No association of low-dose aspirin with severe COVID-19 in France: A cohort of 31.1 million people without cardiovascular disease

Background: Aspirin at low doses has been reported to be a potential drug candidate to treat or prevent severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objectives: We aimed to explore whether low-dose aspirin used for primary cardiovascular prevention was associated with a lower risk of severe COVID-19. Method: A large cohort of patients without known cardiovascular comorbidities was constructed from the entire French population registered in national health care databases. In total, 31.1 million patients aged >= 40 years, including 1.5 million reimbursed for low-dose aspirin at least at three time points during the 6 months before the epidemic, were followed until hospitalization with a COVID-19 diagnosis or intubation/death for hospitalized patients. Results: Cox models adjusted for age and sex showed a positive association between low-dose aspirin and the risk of hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.29-1.37]) or death/intubation (HR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.33-1.47]). In fully adjusted models, associations were close to null (HR, 1.03 [95% CI, 1.00-1.06] and 1.04 [95% CI, 0.98-1.10], respectively). Conclusion: There was no evidence for an effect of low-dose aspirin for primary cardiovascular prevention in reducing severe COVID-19.

Automated summary

This study investigated the association between the use of low-dose aspirin for primary cardiovascular prevention and the risk of severe COVID-19. The results showed a positive association between low-dose aspirin and hospitalization and death/intubation risk. However, after full adjustment, the association became close to null.