Contact Us

Find out how we can help you tackle your healthcare challenges.

blog 0709-A Hidden Shield-blank
BACK TO PERSPECTIVES
DISPLAY TITLE VALUE:

A Hidden Shield: Addressing the Underutilized — and Underreported — Potential of Low-Dose Aspirin in Preeclampsia Prevention

blog 0709-A Hidden Shield-blank

Authors: Tabby Khan, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Komodo Health; Christine Kim, Healthcare Data Analyst, Komodo Health; Anna Druet, Senior Science Writer, Komodo Health; Stephanie Rouse, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, March of Dimes; Ashley Stoneburner, Director, Applied Research and Analytics, March of Dimes

Low visibility of over-the-counter treatments like low-dose aspirin (LDA) presents challenges for ensuring guideline adherence and protecting high-risk patients and their babies.

Research Brief LDA Utilization in Pregnancy-BUTTONIn May, March of Dimes launched the Low Dose, Big Benefits™ initiative to raise awareness of the benefits of LDA in pregnant women who are at risk of preeclampsia — a condition that significantly jeopardizes both maternal and fetal health. Preeclampsia is characterized by elevated maternal blood pressure and protein presence in the urine and can lead to severe complications in pregnancy, including preterm birth, placental abruption, and even maternal and fetal mortality. Identifying patients at high risk is essential for robust maternal care, as is prophylactic LDA therapy after 12 weeks of pregnancy. This recommendation is endorsed by organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and the World Health Organization. The application of LDA is cost-effective, low risk, and clinically impactful.

Despite widespread support for this guideline and mounting evidence supporting its effectiveness, implementation remains hard to track due to the low-cost availability of over-the-counter LDA and few formal prescriptions from healthcare providers. This lack of comprehensive practice data makes it a challenge to measure guideline adherence and target interventions that promote adherence most strategically.

For our latest Research Brief, Komodo Health teamed up with March of Dimes to examine the current use and impact of formal prescriptions for LDA in preventing preeclampsia. 

Our analysis showed that only 11% of high-risk patients had a record of being prescribed LDA during their pregnancy; 89% of high-risk patients either sourced LDA over-the-counter or did not obtain it. However, formal LDA prescriptions for high-risk patients had increased over time, from 6% in 2018 to 14% in 2023. Black patients were 49% more likely to be classified as high risk for preeclampsia compared to White patients, and of all high-risk patient groups, Black and Medicaid-insured patients were most likely to receive an LDA prescription.

This analysis underscores the necessity for higher-fidelity tracking from formal prescriptions through billing in clinical settings to both inform data-driven approaches for improving guideline adherence and provide covered pharmacare options for lower-income patients, for whom every expense matters. Leveraging Komodo Health's data analytics capabilities alongside March of Dimes' educational and advocacy initiatives represents a multifaceted approach to encourage widespread compliance with best practices, ultimately elevating maternal and fetal health standards.

Visit marchofdimes.org/lowdosebigbenefits to learn more about preeclampsia and the safe use of LDA when prescribed by a healthcare professional. Read our research brief here.

Read more of our analyses elucidating gaps in care for uterine cancer, breast cancer, and iron deficiency anemia.

To see more articles like this, follow Komodo Health on XLinkedIn, or YouTube, and visit Insights on our website.

By providing your email address, you agree to receive marketing communications from Komodo Health. For more information on how we process personal information, please refer to our published Privacy Notice.
SUBSCRIBE
Recent Stories