Antiplatelet Activity with Low-Dose, Enteric-Coated Aspirin

Enteric-coated aspirin is often recommended for its gastrointestinal “safety,” but might the coating diminish the antiplatelet effect of the drug?

Researchers conducted three separate crossover studies, funded by makers of aspirin, to test the antiplatelet effects of five aspirin preparations: three 75-mg enteric-coated preparations, 75-mg dispersible aspirin, and a preparation containing 25-mg aspirin plus 200-mg modified-release dipyridamole. Each study tested two different preparations, each of which was given for 14 days, separated by a 14-day washout period. One of the enteric-coated preparations was tested in two studies. The subjects were 71 healthy volunteers (22 to 25 in each study) with a mean age of 29 and a mean body weight of ab…