Low-dose aspirin therapy to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of low-dose aspirin therapy on ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in an unselected group of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Design: Randomized clinical trial.

Setting: Division of Reproductive Medicine at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pécs, Faculty of Medicine, Pécs, Hungary.

Patient(s): Patients who underwent IVF between 2000 and 2006.

Intervention(s): Initiation of 3154 IVF cycles, for which gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was used in 2425 cycles; 1503 cycles randomly selected for low-dose aspirin treatment starting from the first day of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation compared with no treatment in the remaining 922 cycles.

Main outcome measure(s): The incidence of severe or critical OHSS and the rate of clinical pregnancy.

Result(s): During this time period, 45 cases of severe OHSS were detected. Only two of the OHSS patients had received aspirin previously.

Conclusion(s): Based on our preliminary results, introduction of low-dose aspirin therapy during ovulation induction for the prevention of OHSS in high-risk patients should be considered.