Time-dependent effects of low-dose aspirin administration on blood pressure in pregnant women

This study investigated the effects of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) on blood pressure in pregnant women who were at risk of developing gestational hypertension or preeclampsia and who received aspirin at different times of the day according to their rest-activity cycle. A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in 100 pregnant women. Blood pressure for each subject was automatically monitored for 2 days every 4 weeks from the day of recruitment until delivery. Women were randomly assigned to one of six groups according to treatment (placebo, 50 subjects or aspirin, 100 mg/d, starting at 12 to 16 weeks of gestation) and the time of treatment: on awakening (time 1), 8 hours after awakening (time 2), or before bedtime (time 3). Results indicated that there was (1) no effect on blood pressure from placebo at any time (P > .212) and (2) a highly statistically significant (P < .001) time-dependent effect on blood pressure from aspirin. There was no effect of aspirin on blood pressure at time 1 (compared with placebo), but the blood pressure reduction was highly statistically significant after time 2 and, to a greater extent, after time 3 (mean reduction of 12 and 8 mm Hg in 24 hours for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively, at the time of delivery compared with placebo given at the same time). These time-dependent effects of aspirin on blood pressure should be taken into account for the optimization of long-term aspirin administration at low doses for prevention of preeclampsia. In any meta-analysis of aspirin effects, inquiries about the time when the subjects took the drug are indicated and may account for discrepancies in the literature.