Background and Objectives: Aspirin (ASA) is a commonly used antithrombotic drug that has been demonstrated to reduce venous thromboembolism. The aim was to analyze if geriatric COVID-19 patients undergoing a 100 mg/day Aspirin (ASA) treatment prior to hospitalization differ in hospital outcome compared to patients without previous ASA therapy. Materials and Methods: An observational retrospective study was carried out using an anonymized database including geriatric COVID-19 patients (March to April 2020) admitted to Madrid Hospitals Group. A group of COVID-19 patients were treated with low ASA (100 mg/day) prior to COVID-19 infection. Results: Geriatric ASA-treated patients were older (mean age over 70 years; n = 41), had higher frequency of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and upon admission had higher D-dimer levels than non-ASA-treated patients (mean age over 73 years; n = 160). However, patients under ASA treatment did not show more frequent pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) than non-ASA-treated patients. ASA-treated geriatric COVID-19-infected patients in-hospital < 30 days all-cause mortality was more frequent than in non-ASA-treated COVID-19 patients. In ASA-treated COVID-19-infected geriatric patients, anticoagulant therapy with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) significantly reduced need of ICU care, but tended to increase in-hospital < 30 days all-cause mortality. Conclusions: Prior treatment with a low dose of ASA in COVID-19-infected geriatric patients increased frequency of in-hospital < 30 days all-cause mortality, although it seemed to not increase PE frequency despite D-dimer levels upon admission being higher than in non-ASA users. In ASA-treated geriatric COVID-19-infected patients, addition of LMWH therapy reduced frequency of ICU care, but tended to increase in-hospital < 30 days all-cause mortality.

Context: Heat generation by brown adipose tissue (BAT) in response to temperature reduction seems to be entirely related to sympathetic nervous stimulation. Objective: To analyse if temperature reduction and norepinephrine may differently affect the expression of proteins related to energy metabolism in BAT. Materials and methods: Isolated rats BAT was incubated with/without norepinephrine (10(-6) mol/L, 24h at 32 degrees C and 37 degrees C). Results: In BAT, 32 degrees C increased the protein expression levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I and -II, mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) and the expression and activity of lactate dehydrogenase. Mitochondrial F-1-ATP synthase alpha-chain expression was decreased at 32 degrees C compared to 37 degrees C. Norepinephrine and at 32 degrees C exposure, UCP-1 expression was increased but cytochrome-c oxidase and F-1-ATP synthase alpha-chain expression was reduced with respect to 37 degrees C. Discussion: Sympathetic stimulation seems not to be the only factor associated with heat generation. Conclusions: Temperature reduction by itself exerts some different effects on the expression of proteins related to the energy metabolism than norepinephrine.