Aspirin recommended for diabetics at high risk

Tue, 01 Jun 2010
A new report has recommended that adults with diabetes who are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and not at increased risk for bleeding should take low doses of aspirin to help prevent heart disease . It found that low-dose aspirin therapy was useful for most men over 50 and women over 60 with diabetes who have one or more additional heart disease risk factors.

However, those under those ages in each group are not recommended to take aspirin, as the potential adverse effects from gastrointestinal bleeding offset the potential benefits of treatment.

In a statement by a number of leading American cardiology and diabetes institutions, it was revealed that low-dose aspirin therapy was a reasonable measure to prevent a first heart attack or stroke among people with diabetes who also have a high risk for heart disease. Although trials have had mixed results, overall it is suggested that aspirin has a modest reduction of the risk of cardiovascular events .

Michael Pignone, lead author of the statement, said "Because the relative risk reduction appears to be modest, the panel felt that we are on strongest ground recommending aspirin for those at increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, defined by the age categories and risk factors mentioned or by a calculation of CVD risk."

It has been found that people with diabetes are, on average, at three times the increased risk of cardiovascular events compared with age-and sex-matched people without diabetes.

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