Blood thinners have reduced the risk of death from COVID-19 in a new study, pointing to another promising tool, while doctors are cleaning their drug pandemic treatment cabinets.
About 14% of patients receiving anticoagulants within 24 hours of hospitalization died of coronavirus, compared with 19% of those who did not, according to a study published in British Medical on Friday. Journal. Patients were treated with heparin, an injected blood thinner sold by generic manufacturers, including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Scientists have been looking for existing, low-cost drugs to help patients with COVID-19, as more elaborate treatments are disappointing. One of the biggest successes so far has been dexamethasone, a steroid that has been shown to reduce the risk of death by a third for patients with ventilators.
Findings on blood thinners are based on data from more than 4,000 patients, mostly men, from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They were hospitalized between March 1 and July 31 with COVID-19. According to the study, patients who received anticoagulants did not have an increased risk of bleeding.
The study is based on observation, which means that the results need to be confirmed by clinical trials, and some are ongoing, scientists said. The drugs could have a result, as blood clots that develop in the major veins and arteries could be to blame for the deaths caused by COVID-19, according to research.
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