Full-Dose Blood Thinner Treatment Found Effective

The U.S. NIH announced a worldwide clinical trial found full dose anticoagulation (blood thinner) treatments given to moderately ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19 reduced the requirement of vital organ support—such as the need for ventilation.

Moderately ill patients are those not in intensive care and who did not receive organ support such as mechanical ventilation at trial enrollment, said the NIH in a press statement issued on January 22, 2021.

Three clinical trial platforms spanning five continents in more than 300 hospitals have been working together to test whether there is a greater benefit of full doses of heparin (blood thinners) to treat moderately ill hospitalized adults with COVID-19 compared to the lower heparin dose typically administered to prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients.

Based on the interim results of more than 1,000 moderately ill patients admitted to the hospital, the findings showed that full doses of blood thinners, in addition to being safe, were superior to the doses normally given to prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients. The trial investigators are now working as fast as possible to make the full results of the study available so clinicians can make informed decisions about treating their COVID-19 patients.

Heparin is in a class of medications called anticoagulants ('blood thinners'). It works by decreasing the clotting ability of the blood, says MedlinePlus.