Hope for Live Births in Women with Antiphospholipid Syndrome

When the authors evaluated low-molecular-weight heparin with aspirin vs. unfractionated heparin with aspirin, the pooled risk ratio for live birth did not reveal a clear benefit of one heparin over the other. The meta-analysis also was unable to determine the ideal timing of initiation and duration of treatment.

The studies did not report frequent occurrence of easy bruising at injection site or allergies, both of which are adverse events commonly associated with heparin therapy. Additionally, hemorrhage and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, common side effects of unfractionated heparin therapy, were not commonly reported.

Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

Reference

1. Hamulyák EN, Scheres LJ, Marijnen MC, et al. Aspirin or heparin or both for improving pregnancy outcomes in women with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies and recurrent pregnancy loss. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 May 2;5(5):CD012852.