CAN I TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN AS A T2 TO PREVENT STROKE RISK, PLE

[Q007]

My wife has CVD and 3 heart attacks chalked up, she takes aspirin daily and doctor says its the most important drug of all. My GP told me NOT to take aspirin because of the risk of setting off a bleed. We discussed that aspirin is proven to significantly reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes for those with cardio-vascular disease, and I was surprised to here that diabetics are in the same risk group, in fact shocked. Apparently all NSAID drugs have similar risks of setting off a bleed, he went on to say.

I understand there is risk with taking most drugs, I got that. But, what are the risks vs benefits for a T2 diabetic, is anyone taking it? What are the RVB? What do you think? Kind regards, Q..


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[AMBrennan]

Re: CAN I TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN AS A T2 TO PREVENT STROKE RISK,

Assuming for the moment that your GP is somewhat competent, the natural deduction is that for you, the benefits do not outweigh the risks since your GP told you not to take aspirin.

Quick google turned up this from the BHF (careful, they are also idiots who are conspiring with big pharma to kill us):

For primary prevention, the balance of benefits vs harm mandate that patients need to be aged over
50 years and have a CVD risk level ≥ 20% over 10 years to shift the balance in favour of benefit.
Thus, for primary prevention, low- dose aspirin should only be offered to hypertensive patients aged
over 50 years whose blood pressure has been controlled to the audit standard (<150/90 mmHg) and
who have a baseline CVD risk ≥20% over 10 years and no contraindication to aspirin use. These
recommendations were strongly influenced by the assessment of the benefit and harm of low-dose
aspirin in well treated hypertensive subjects at different levels of baseline CVD risk (5). In these
analyses the benefit vs harm was neutral at a 10 year CVD risk of about 10%, but favoured benefit at
higher levels of risk.

The recently published updated meta-analysis using individual participant data from the original trials
of the use of aspirin in primary prevention (1), reported an overall proportional risk reduction in
serious vascular events of 12% (0.51% aspirin vs 0.57% control per year, p=0.0001) due mainly to a
reduction of about one fifth in non-fatal myocardial infarction (0.18% vs0.23% per year, p<0.0001).
However, this benefit was offset by an increase in major gastrointestinal and extracranial bleeds
(0.10% vs 0.07% per year, p<0.0001). Thus the absolute reduction in the risk of vascular events is
only about twice as large as the absolute increase in bleeding. As the authors of the meta-analysis
point out, most of the patients recruited into these primary prevention trials were not taking statins,
which would have reduced their absolute risk of vascular events without any increase in harm. Even
in those patients at higher risk the number of vascular events was too few to allow any reliable
conclusions to be drawn.

 

[Janiept]

Re: CAN I TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN AS A T2 TO PREVENT STROKE RISK,

There was a programme about this very subject recently and the medical professionals were split down the middle.
Some say aspirin may cause bleed and others say it is an effective preventive measure for heart attacks /strokes.
The point that stood out for me was that people DO NOT die from a bleed, as it is relatively easily treated......
The effects of heart attacks and strokes are not.
My mother had horrendously high blood pressure and I got her to take aspirin daily. Her stupid ******* doctor told her it was dangerous and might cause her to bleed so she dutifully stopped.
A couple of weeks later, surprise surprise, she had a stroke and we as a family are now caring for a previously capable, healthy woman.
The bottom line is, which is worse....... a bleed which can be treated or brain damage or death which can't!!!

 

[Q007]

Re: CAN I TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN AS A T2 TO PREVENT STROKE RISK,

There was a programme about this very subject recently and the medical professionals were split down the middle.
Some say aspirin may cause bleed and others say it is an effective preventive measure for heart attacks /strokes.
The point that stood out for me was that people DO NOT die from a bleed, as it is relatively easily treated......
The effects of heart attacks and strokes are not.
My mother had horrendously high blood pressure and I got her to take aspirin daily. Her stupid ******* doctor told her it was dangerous and might cause her to bleed so she dutifully stopped.
A couple of weeks later, surprise surprise, she had a stroke and we as a family are now caring for a previously capable, healthy woman.
The bottom line is, which is worse....... a bleed which can be treated or brain damage or death which can't!!!

Hi there and thanks for the reply, I'm so sorry to read the story about your mum. What I've read is taking aspirin can not only set off a gastric bleed but a brain bleed also. That's the one I'm worried about, should I have a brain bleed then that could be fatal. Kind regards, Q..


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[catherinecherub]

Re: CAN I TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN AS A T2 TO PREVENT STROKE RISK,

My wife has CVD and 3 heart attacks chalked up, she takes aspirin daily and doctor says its the most important drug of all. My GP told me NOT to take aspirin because of the risk of setting off a bleed. We discussed that aspirin is proven to significantly reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes for those with cardio-vascular disease, and I was surprised to here that diabetics are in the same risk group, in fact shocked. Apparently all NSAID drugs have similar risks of setting off a bleed, he went on to say.

I understand there is risk with taking most drugs, I got that. But, what are the risks vs benefits for a T2 diabetic, is anyone taking it? What are the RVB? What do you think? Kind regards, Q..


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A few years ago every Type2 was offered aspirin therapy.

Since then there have been several trials which show that unless you have had a Cardiovascular event, it does nothing to prevent it happening. G.P.s have been warned not to dish it out like smarties.

The present study shows no association between aspirin use and beneficial effects on risks of CVD or mortality in patients with diabetes and no previous CVD and supports the trend towards a more restrictive use of aspirin in those patients, also underlined by the increased risk of ventricular ulcers associated with aspirin.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/th ... rP7iSgx-FK

 

[twosweet]

I take an aspirin daily and for me it helps with good blood circulation as well, for what its worth. My daughter in law, who happens to be a doctor believes that aspirin helps prevent heart-attacks.

 

[julifriend]

Anyone with asthma should be very careful about taking aspirin if they don't normally take it for headaches etc.. It's one of the few things that has caused me to have a very bad asthma attack and under no circumstances would I ever take aspirin.

 

[Beachbag]

Anyone with asthma should be very careful about taking aspirin if they don't normally take it for headaches etc.. It's one of the few things that has caused me to have a very bad asthma attack and under no circumstances would I ever take aspirin.

I take aspirin because it was prescribed me thirteen years ago, following a heart attack and surgery. Otherwise I wouldn't take it just as a precautionary measure. Research seems to be throwing up evidence that it isn't the wonder drug it was thought to be. Would I come off it now? Hmmmm....I'm still out on that one, lol

 

[CathyP]

When I was diagnosed T2 in August 2012 I was already on rampril and amlodopine tablets for high blood pressure and blue and brown inhalers for asthma. I was prescribed metformin and simvastatin for high cholesterol and blood glucose and daily asprin tablets. The asprin tablets I am taking are 75mg dispersiblewhich appears to be a much lower dose than the standard dose bought over the counter. Whether it does any good or harm only time will tell. My readings for HBA1C blood pressure and cholesterol are now the top of normal and my blood pressure doses have been reduced. This doseof aspirin does not affect my asthma but I do occasionally have "unknown" bruises. I tend to trust my doctor and follow his advice though if there were any obvious side effects / deterioration in my conditions I would go striaght back to him

 

[Pilgrim22]

but I do occasionally have "unknown" bruises

Ramapril can cause you to bruise, in fact anything that thins your blood can do it, including aspirin.



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[FatGenes999]

I have IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) which is currently under good control, using no Rx meds; however, aspirins can set off a bleed for me quite easily. My GP recommended the 80mg, lighter dose after discussing my risk for heart problems since I now have diabetes. I tried it for a while, and decided that since I was beginning to show signs of internal bleeding that I would only take the 80mg aspirins a few times a week. I made the decision based on the fact that I already have IBD, and the "judgement call" was decided in favor of moderation. Hopefully, I am on the right track.
I also make sure to maintain a good daily regimen of digestive supplements and teas.