In Western countries,low-dose aspirin has been reported to cause upper gastrointestinal complications even if it is enteric-coated.In particular,gastrointestinal bleeding due to the antiplatelet effect of low-dose aspirin can cause serious problems.In this study,we conducted upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy to determine the occurrence of ulcers,ulcer scars and erosive lesions as upper gastrointestinal complications in patients taking enteric-coated preparations of low-dose aspirin.We also carried out a questionnaire survey on the effects of low-dose aspirin to evaluate the extent of patients' knowledge of them.
More than half of the patients were found to have upper gastrointestinal complications and it was also noted that these patients were less aware of upper gastrointestinal complications than patients without complications.This suggests that lowdose aspirin causes upper gastrointestinal complications despite being an enteric-coated preparation,and that most patients with complications tend to lack awareness of the adverse effects of low-dose aspirin.Therefore,it is very useful for patients taking low-dose aspirin to undergo upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy regularly to identify any complications in the early stages.It is also necessary for pharmacists to provide patients with more information to give them a better understanding of low-dose aspirin and its adverse effects.