Aspirin Responsiveness at a Dose of 80mg and Its Impact on Birth Weight when Used in Twin Pregnancies: The GAP Pilot Randomized Trial

Objective Daily aspirin, started in the first trimester of pregnancy, is commonly used for the prevention of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction in multiple gestation. However, the optimal dose remains controversial and the evidence for the use of aspirin in multiple pregnancies is scarce. We aimed to estimate the impact of 80mg of aspirin in twin pregnancies. Study Design We performed a pilot double-blind randomized trial of women with twin pregnancies recruited between 8 and 14 weeks of gestation. Fifty participants (25 in each group) were randomized to 80mg of aspirin daily at bedtime or a placebo from randomization until 36 weeks of gestation. Primary and secondary outcomes included the birth weight of live infants, preeclampsia, and aspirin responsiveness evaluated by a platelet aggregation test ( platelet function assay [ PFA]- 100). Results All participants were followed until birth, including 48 and 47 live newborns in the aspirin and the placebo groups, respectively. The mean birth weight difference between the aspirin (2,385 +/- 529 g) and placebo (2,224 +/- 706g) groups was of 179g (95% confidence interval [CI]: -172-531 g, p = 0.32). We observed two (8%) cases of preeclampsia in the aspirin group and no case with placebo ( p = 0.49). Most importantly,16 of 24 participants who received aspirin (67%; 95% CI: 45-84%) had a normal PFA-100 test at 22 to 23 weeks, including the two cases of preeclampsia, suggesting that the majority of the participants were nonresponsive to 80mg of aspirin. Conclusion Our results suggest that the majority of women with twin pregnancies showed a lack of response to a daily dose of 80mg of aspirin according to the PFA-100 test, compared with the expected 29% of nonresponsiveness in singleton pregnancies. A daily dose of 80mg of aspirin is likely to be insufficient for the prevention of preeclampsia and other placenta- mediated complications in twin pregnancies.

Automated summary

This study suggests that the majority of women with twin pregnancies do not respond to a daily dose of 80mg aspirin, indicating that this dosage may be insufficient for the prevention of preeclampsia and other placenta-mediated complications in twin pregnancies.