Clinical efficacy of low-dose aspirin combined with calcium in preventing preeclampsia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of low-dose aspirin combined with calcium supplements for the prevention of preeclampsia.Methods: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception until December 2022. Randomized controlled trials investigating the preventive use of aspirin in combination with calcium supplementation for preeclampsia in high-risk pregnant women were included. The quality of the literature was evaluated, and a meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software to analyze the clinical efficacy of low-dose aspirin combined with calcium supplementation in preventing preeclampsia.Results: Seven randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis, and compared with the control group, the experimental group had lower incidence rates of preeclampsia with gestational hypertension (odds ratios [OR]: 0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11-0.28), preeclampsia (OR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.10-0.37), gestational hypertension (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.07-0.31), preterm birth (OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.16-0.44), postpartum hemorrhage (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.08-0.27), and fetal growth restriction (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.08-0.33).Conclusion: Compared with aspirin alone, low-dose aspirin combined with calcium supplementation was more effective in preventing preeclampsia, reduced the risk of preterm birth and postpartum hemorrhage, and promoted fetal growth. This intervention has clinical value and should be considered for high-risk pregnant women.