Variability in the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Low Dose Aspirin in Healthy Male Volunteers

Data describing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of low dose aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid; ASA) are limited. This single-center study was designed to determine the rate and extent of oral absorption of 80-mg ASA tablets in healthy, young male subjects and to assess the intra- and inter-subject variability of ASA pharmacokinetics and platelet aggregation effects. Ten subjects each received a single, open-label, oral 80-mg ASA dose on three separate days. Each dose was separated by a 2-week washout interval. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic determinations of ASA and its metabolite, salicylic acid (SA) and platelet aggregation studies were obtained at scheduled timepoints before and up to 24 hours after each dose. Peak plasma ASA levels of 1 μg/mL were achieved within 30 minutes. Peak plasma SA levels of approximately 4 μg/mL were attained in 1 hour. The terminal half-lives (t1/2) of ASA and SA were 0.4 and 2.1 hours, respectively. Both ASA and SA pharmacokinetics and the platelet aggregation response to ASA exhibited considerable intra- and inter-subject variability. Inhibition of platelet aggregation was found to relate with ASA area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC).