Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were not more likely to take aspirin during pregnancy than when not pregnant, despite the potential to reduce preeclampsia risk, based on data from 300 women.
Although aspirin is recommended to reduce preeclampsia risk in pregnant SLE patients, data on current practice patterns are limited, wrote Arielle Mendel, MD, of McGill University, Montreal, and colleagues in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The researchers identified 475 pregnancies among 300 women aged 18-45 years who were pregnant during the study period from 2000 to 2017. The average duration of SLE duration at the time of pregnancy was 5.6 years, and approximately half (51%) of pregnancies had one or more traditional preeclampsia risk factors. In addition, 33% of the women had positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL).
Overall, 25% of the pregnancies included aspirin use, with no significant difference among those with one or more risk factors, any individual risk factor, or nephritis.
The study population was 44% white, 19% black, 14% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 5% from the Indian subcontinent, 1% Native American, and 5% other ethnicities.
Approximately 34% of white patients and 32% of Hispanic patients were exposed to aspirin, compared with 18% and 20% of black and Asian patients, respectively. Aspirin use did not increase over the study period, although there was a trend for increased use in patients with a positive aPL, compared with those with no aPL.
“The low aspirin use among black SLE subjects is noteworthy given the worse reproductive outcomes observed in this population,” the researchers wrote.
The findings were limited by several factors, including a lack of data on gestational age and pregnancy outcomes, the researchers noted. However, the results highlight the gap between recommendations and practice, and the need for additional research on aspirin use in pregnant SLE patients.
The study was supported in part by a McGill University Health Centre Research Award; the researchers reported no financial conflicts.
SOURCE: Mendel A et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Dec 20. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214434.