New paediatric research into aspirin provides data with direct translational relevance

Congratulations to Professor Colin McMahon and the whole team involved in new research focused on a ‘greater understanding of reduced response to aspirin in children with congenital heart disease, post-cardiac surgery’.

A high platelet turnover rate may produce a population of platelets that confers an inadequate response to aspirin. The research team aimed to investigate the relationship between residual platelet aggregation and platelet turnover in paediatric cardiology patients on aspirin monotherapy by evaluating the fraction of immature platelets as a marker for turnover and secondly to test the predictive value of the immature platelet fraction (IPF) to classify patients as responsive or non-responsive to aspirin.

The study demonstrated that inadequate response to aspirin occurs in approximately 38% of patients undergoing specific high-risk congenital cardiac procedures using the dosing practice of a national centre. The study supported the hypothesis that an elevated platelet turnover may result in aspirin being less effective in patients who are recently post cardiac surgery. The data is of direct translational relevance.

Highlights from the research include:

• Inadequate response to aspirin occurs in approximately 38% of paediatric patients undergoing specific high-risk congenital cardiac procedures.
• An elevated platelet turnover as measured by IPF may render aspirin less effective in patients that are recently post-surgery.
• This patient cohort has an increased risk for thromboembolic events.
• Greater surveillance in paediatric patients post-cardiac surgery on aspirin monotherapy is warranted.

For the full paper published in Thrombosis Research, see here.