Low dose aspirin therapy and renal function in elderly patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether low dose aspirin has any deleterious effects on renal function in elderly patients.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective pilot study of 30 Nigerians older than 60 years with various chronic ailments necessitating the use of low dose aspirin. Patients gave their consent, and institutional ethical clearance was obtained. Each patient's baseline samples at enrolment (before commencing aspirin use) served as a control, and subsequent weekly samples were compared. The weekly mean of each parameter was calculated, and the differences of means from baseline were determined, and values were compared for statistical differences with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 16.


RESULTS
We found that a majority of patients (86.67%) had basal renal functions at chronic kidney disease stages 1 and 2. When compared with the corresponding baseline parameters, the mean weekly serum and urinary electrolytes, urea, creatinine, and uric acid parameters did not change, and the P-value did not show any statistical significance. However, there was positive statistical significance for the creatinine clearance (P = 0.025). Also, unlike in previous studies, anemia and hypoalbuminemia did not affect the renal function parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
This study did not show any deleterious effects with short-term, low dose (75 mg daily) aspirin use on kidney functions in elderly patients. However, caution should be exercised when dealing with patients in renal stages 3-5 and the very elderly, aged ≥ 80 years.
Department of Medicine, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria ; Department of Medicine, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
Patience Olayinka
PO
Akinwusi
Rotimi
R
Oluyombo
Paul Sunday
PS
Ogunro
Adetunji Oladeni
AO
Adeniji
Oluyomi Olusola
OO
Okunola
Olugbenga Edward
OE
Ayodele
elderly; low dose aspirin; renal functions