Phase 3
Completed N=251
Low Dose Aspirin for Venous Leg Ulcers
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02158806 ↗Enrolled (actual)
251
Serious AEs
8.4%
Results posted
Jan 2019
Primary outcomePrimary: Time to Complete Healing of Reference Ulcer — 77; 69 days — p=0.246
◆ Published Evidence
Established
29citations · ~3 / year
Low dose aspirin as adjuvant treatment for venous leg ulceration: pragmatic, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial (Aspirin4VLU).
Summary
Venous leg ulcers (VLU) are the most common leg ulcer, can be painful, and limit work, lifestyles and activity, especially in older patients. There are few effective treatments - compression therapy (tight bandaging or stockings) helps healing, but about half the people with a VLU remain unhealed even after 12 weeks of treatment. Research suggests taking aspirin as well as using compression may speed up healing for VLU, but the current evidence is not enough to change clinical practice. We will conduct a randomised controlled trial to test whether using low dose aspirin (150 mg daily or placebo) really does speed up healing.
Linked Publications (2)
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Low dose aspirin as adjuvant treatment for venous leg ulceration: pragmatic, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial (Aspirin4VLU).
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Low-dose aspirin as an adjuvant treatment for venous leg ulceration: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (Aspirin4VLU).
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Time to Complete Healing of Reference Ulcer |
77; 69 | 0.246 |
| SECONDARY Number of Participants With Healed Venous Leg Ulcers |
88; 101 | 0.073 |
| SECONDARY Change in Estimated Ulcer Area |
4.1; 4.8 | 0.25 |
| SECONDARY Change in Health-related Quality of Life (Short Form 36) |
5.0; 3.8; 11.7; 10.3; 11.4; 9.0 | 0.714 |
| SECONDARY Change in Health-related Quality of Life (EuroQol-5D 3L) |
7.4; 4.0 | 0.156 |
| SECONDARY Change in Health-related Quality of Life (Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire) |
-6.2; -4.7; -6.6; -5.2; -6.1; -4.9 | 0.438 |
| SECONDARY Number of Participants With Adherence to Treatment |
92; 92 | 0.917 |
| SECONDARY Incidence of Adverse Events at 24 Weeks |
6; 1; 0; 4; 8; 4 | 0.71 |
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Aged 18 years or older
- Determined to have a venous leg ulcer (clinical indications of venous ulceration, Ankle Brachial Index ≥ 0.8, and other causative aetiologies ruled out)
- Able to tolerate compression therapy
- Able to provide written informed consent
- Confirmation with participant's general practitioner that the participant can take low dose aspirin or placebo.
Exclusion Criteria
- Pregnant or breast-feeding women
- History of myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischaemic attack, angina or significant peripheral arterial disease
- History of adverse effects related to aspirin use
- Currently using aspirin, or other anti-platelet or anticoagulant therapy
- Opinion of screening medical practitioner at National Institute of Health Innovation that participant has an existing condition or treatment that is a contraindication to use of aspirin or to participation in the trial.
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02158806) and the linked publication. Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication. Informational only — not medical advice.