Low-dose aspirin versus placebo as adjunctive treatment in bipolar disorder (the Aspirin-Bipolar RCT): Results of exploratory biomarker analyses.

What was studied

This study used biomarker data from an aspirin trial. The trial tested low-dose aspirin in bipolar disorder. It had 250 people with a new diagnosis. 125 got aspirin and 125 got placebo. Markers were measured at the start and at 6 months. The team asked if inflammation and stress markers explain aspirin's effect on mood instability.

What they found

Markers at the start did not predict mood instability at 6 months. The data gave no sign that the proposed pathways were at work. People with higher inflammation at the start did not gain more from aspirin. Effect estimates were close to zero, with narrow confidence intervals.

What it means for patients

The team found no evidence for the proposed inflammation and stress pathways. They say this argues against a major role for these pathways. It fits the negative main results of the aspirin trial.

Why it is not certain yet

This was a secondary look at an existing trial. Fewer people had marker data at 6 months than at the start. Missing data were filled in by a statistical method. Higher inflammation was defined as IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α all above the median.

Source

Low-dose aspirin versus placebo as adjunctive treatment in bipolar disorder (the Aspirin-Bipolar RCT): Results of exploratory biomarker analyses.

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