Skip to main content

Therapeutic-Dose Anticoagulation Linked to Lower Mortality in COVID-19

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 26, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2024 -- For patients hospitalized for COVID-19, administration of therapeutic-dose versus prophylactic-dose anticoagulation with heparins is associated with lower 28-day mortality, according to a review published online Dec. 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Claire L. Vale, Ph.D., and colleagues from the World Health Organization Rapid Evidence Appraisal for COVID-19 Therapies Working Group, estimated the association of higher-dose versus lower-dose anticoagulation with clinical outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 using data from 20 eligible trials and two additional studies.

The researchers found that 28-day mortality was reduced with therapeutic-dose versus prophylactic-dose anticoagulation with heparins (odds ratio, 0.77; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.93; 11 trials included 6,297 patients, 5,456 of whom required low or no oxygen at randomization). For 28-day mortality, the odds ratios were 1.21 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.93 to 1.58) for therapeutic-dose versus intermediate-dose anticoagulation and 0.95 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.76 to 1.19) for intermediate- versus prophylactic-dose anticoagulation. Across predefined patient subgroups, treatment effects were broadly consistent; some analyses were limited in power. Fewer thromboembolic events were seen in association with higher- versus lower-dose anticoagulation, but the risk for major bleeding was greater.

"For each comparison, higher- compared with lower-dose anticoagulation was associated with fewer thromboembolic events but a greater risk for major bleeding," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Medicaid Unwinding Linked to Disruption of Chronic Medication Therapy in Youth

FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 -- In young patients, especially young adults, Medicaid unwinding associated with the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted chronic medication therapy, according to a...

No Link Found Between COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy and Spontaneous Abortion

THURSDAY, May 15, 2025 -- There is no association between COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy and spontaneous abortion, according to a study published online May 2...

Combined Flu, SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine as Effective as Individual Vaccines for Older Adults

FRIDAY, May 9, 2025 -- mRNA-1083 vaccine is noninferior and induces higher immune responses than recommended influenza and COVID-19 vaccines against several influenza strains and...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.