Aspirin to improve leg ulcers
Researchers are looking at whether aspirin can improve the healing rates of leg ulcers in older adults, particularly for those living in residential aged care.
The team, led by Monash University, hope to recruit more than 260 participants from wound clinics around Australia.
Venous ulcers are chronic wounds of the lower leg that are more common in older people. An estimated 400,000 Australians suffer from venous leg ulceration (VLU), costing about $2-3 billion each year.
Research shows chronic wounds are a hidden epidemic because those who live with them tend to hide them from the public, and many sufferers are in aged care facilities.
Lead researcher, Dr Carolina Weller, from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, claims the burden of disease is expected to rise with an ageing population and the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics – all risk factors for the development of venous leg ulcers.
“Current best practice involves compression bandaging therapy, however 30% to 50% of VLUs remain unhealed after two years and recurrence is common. Two small studies previously suggested that aspirin can improve healing rates and decreases recurrence and we plan to look at that further,” Dr Weller says.
“We believe this study is novel because it involves a large number of participants in a carefully controlled clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic value of adding aspirin to compression therapy,” she adds.
The study will involve 12 weeks of standardised, weekly compression therapy in combination with 12 months of taking either 300mg of Aspirin or a placebo.
Participants must be over 40 years old, not taking routine aspirin, with a leg ulcer that has existed for at least six weeks in the presence of chronic venous insufficiency.
The study will be completed by December 2017 and is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Find out more information on the study. Alternatively, you can email Carolina Weller.
