Relationship between aspirin use and subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic Review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Aspirin has been associated with a decreasing risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to its anti-inflammatory mechanism of action and potential protective properties against aneurysm growth.

Objective: To determine the association between aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and aspirin use.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis were performed across the PubMed database. The following keywords were used: "aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, 2-acetyloxy-benzoic acid, ruptured intracranial aneurysm, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, spontaneous aneurysmal hemorrhage, spontaneous intracerebral bleeding". Studies that were performed with animals or analyzed patients with traumatic brain injury were excluded. A total of five studies were included in our meta-analysis, with a total of 19,222 patients evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between the use of aspirin and the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Results: Aspirin use reduce the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.34-0.76).

Conclusion: Although some previous studies suggested that aspirin may potentially reduce the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage, our meta-analysis found an association between the reduction of risk of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Keywords: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage; Aspirin; Cerebral aneurysm; Intracranial aneurysm; Intracrebral hemorrhage.