A large study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Parkland Medical Center found that prescribing low-dose aspirin (162 mg) daily to all pregnant women from the time of their first visit to the 16th week of pregnancy significantly reduced the incidence of severe preeclampsia.
The study results, published in the February 2026 issue of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, compared outcomes for more than 18,000 women who gave birth between 2023 and 2025 after applying a comprehensive aspirin protocol to outcomes for the same number of pregnant women before the program began.
The results showed that women who took aspirin daily had a 29% reduction in the incidence of preeclampsia compared to the control group. This effect was also more pronounced in women who suffered from chronic hypertension before pregnancy.
We can expect positive results.
The results showed that cases of severe and early pre-eclampsia were significantly reduced, the onset of pre-eclampsia was delayed in some pregnant women and completely prevented in others, and that the dosage (162 mg per day) was safe and associated with no noticeable harm, with no increased risk of maternal bleeding or placental abruption.
“Implementation of a comprehensive aspirin dispensing regimen resulted in significant preventive benefits, and no evidence of treatment-related harm was observed among participants,” said Dr. Elaine Doria, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Health Hospital and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology.
What is preeclampsia?
Preeclampsia is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy. It is characterized by high blood pressure and can damage organs such as the kidneys, liver, and brain. This can develop into life-threatening conditions for the mother and fetus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 7.7% of pregnancy-related maternal deaths in the United States in 2024 were due to hypertensive disorders.
For many years, the International Medical Association has recommended the use of low-dose aspirin (81 to 162 mg) for women at high risk of preeclampsia when treatment is started before the 16th week of pregnancy. However, compliance with this recommendation remains relatively low in many health systems.
The study is one of the largest practical trials to comprehensively apply aspirin to all pregnant women, not just high-risk groups, and has sparked a scientific debate about whether recommendations should be expanded to include all pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy.
A large study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Parkland Medical Center in the US found that prescribing a low daily dose of aspirin (162 mg) to all pregnant women from the time of presentation to the 16th week of pregnancy was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of severe preeclampsia.
The study results, published in the February 2026 issue of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, compared outcomes for more than 18,000 women who gave birth between 2023 and 2025 after implementing a comprehensive aspirin protocol to the same number of pregnant women before the program began.
The results showed that women who took aspirin daily had a 29% reduction in the incidence of preeclampsia compared to the control group. This effect was also more pronounced in women who had chronic hypertension before pregnancy.
We can expect positive results.
The results showed that cases of severe and early preeclampsia were significantly reduced, the onset of preeclampsia was delayed in some pregnant women and completely prevented in others, no increased risk of maternal hemorrhage or placental abruption was recorded, and the dose used (162 mg per day) was safe and there were no noticeable harms associated with it.
Dr. Eileen Doria, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of obstetrics at Parkland Health Hospital, said, “The implementation of a comprehensive aspirin dispensing system provided important preventive benefits, and no evidence of treatment-related harm was observed among participants.”
What is preeclampsia?
Preeclampsia is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy, characterized by high blood pressure and potential damage to organs such as the kidneys, liver, and brain, and can develop into a life-threatening condition for both mother and fetus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 7.7% of pregnancy-related maternal deaths in the United States in 2024 were due to hypertensive disorders.
For many years, the International Medical Association has recommended the use of low-dose aspirin (81 to 162 mg) for women at high risk of preeclampsia when treatment is started before 16 weeks of pregnancy. However, compliance with this recommendation remains relatively low in many health systems.
The study is one of the largest practical trials to comprehensively apply aspirin to all pregnant women, not just high-risk groups, and has sparked scientific debate about whether recommendations should be expanded to include all pregnant women in the early stages.
