Evidence Hub

The combination of EPA+DHA and low-dose aspirin ingestion reduces platelet function acutely whereas each alone may not in healthy humans

Block RC, Kakinami L, Jonovich M, Antonetti I, Lawrence P, Meednu N, CalderonArtero P, Mousa SA et al.

Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids, 2012

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Aspirin's effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular disease events is inadequate in some individuals, a phenomenon termed aspirin "resistance". The hypothesis that combining low dose aspirin with eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA+DHA) reduces platelet function in the acute setting has not been investigated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a clinical trial of EPA+DHA and aspirin ingestion in healthy adults. Fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline and 4 h after supplementation with EPA/DHA (3.4 g/d), aspirin (81 mg), and both. Platelet function was measured using the Platelet Function Analyzer-100 (PFA-100). Plasma lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), autotaxin, angiogenesis activators, and cytokines were measured.

RESULTS: Platelet function decreased with the combination of aspirin+EPA/DHA (p=0.03) but not with either alone (p>0.05). EPA-LPC increased (p=0.002).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that a potentially beneficial effect on platelet function occurred within 4h after ingestion of low-dose aspirin and EPA+DHA in healthy adults.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free