The wonder-drug aspirin dramatically increases pregnancy rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilisation, new research indicates.
An Argentinian study of 300 women found pregnancy rates jumped from 28 per cent to 45 per cent when low doses of aspirin were taken.
The study, published in the American journal Fertility andSterility, showed successful embryo implantation rates rose from 9 per cent to 18 per cent and ovarian bloodflow improved.
Mary Birdsall, a reproductive specialist with Fertility Associates, said all patients, except those with bad reactions to aspirin, would now be advised to use the drug.
She said one in six New Zealand couples suffered from fertility problems, and more than 1000 women sought in vitro fertilisation each year, most through Fertility Associates.
Many more women did not attempt in vitro fertilisation because they were not eligible for free care under the public health system and were put off by the costs of private treatment.
She said the study was exciting for infertile couples and could reduce costs for some women because they would require less treatment.
"We have used aspirin before for women who have had many failed cycles, but now it will be given to everyone. It really is a landmark study."
She said regular low doses of aspirin - one-third the dose found in commercial Disprin capsules - helped to improve the blood flow through the ovaries, giving eggs more nutrients and oxygen at critical times.
In vitro fertilisation involves using drugs to stimulate women's ovaries to produce eggs, fertilising the eggs in the laboratory, then returning the tiny embryos to the uterus.
Aspirin, which has been on shop shelves for 100 years, has been recognised as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases, besides its original use for short-term pain relief.
