Risks of taking aspirin for diabetics
Women under 60 and men under 50 who have diabetes but no other major risk factors for heart disease probably should not be on low-dose aspirin therapy, new research suggests.
The new recommendations are based on close examination of nine studies that found the risks of some aspirin side effects, such as stomach bleeding, should be better balanced against the possible benefits of using aspirin.
The larger theme here is that use of low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks in people who have not already experienced one is probably not as efficacious as we used to believe it was," Craig Williams, PharmD, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University, says in a news release.
Part of the issue is that widespread use of drugs to control blood pressure and reducecholesterol has lessened the additional benefits of aspirin, Williams says.
There is no evidence that higher doses of aspirin, over 75-162 milligrams per day, have added value in heart attack prevention
The American Diabetes Association has come out with guidelines for aspirin use in diabetes.
1. Aspirin should ONLY be used in any diabetic patient who has evidence of heart disease, a prior heart attack, previous bypass procedures, astroke, angina, claudication, or blood vessel disease.
2. Aspirin therapy should be considered in high-risk men and women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. This includes diabetic patients with the following:
A family history of heart disease
Cigarette smoking
Hypertension
Positive protein in the urine (albuminuria)
High cholesterol
Over age 30
You should take a daily aspirin only if your doctor advises you to do so. If you have had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor will likely recommend you take a daily aspirin unless you have a serious allergy or history of bleeding.
Should you take a daily aspirin?
You shouldn't start daily aspirin therapy on your own in an effort to prevent a heart attack. Your doctor may suggest daily aspirin
The new recommendations are based on close examination of nine studies that found the risks of some aspirin side effects, such as stomach bleeding, should be better balanced against the possible benefits of using aspirin.
The larger theme here is that use of low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks in people who have not already experienced one is probably not as efficacious as we used to believe it was," Craig Williams, PharmD, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University, says in a news release.
Part of the issue is that widespread use of drugs to control blood pressure and reducecholesterol has lessened the additional benefits of aspirin, Williams says.
There is no evidence that higher doses of aspirin, over 75-162 milligrams per day, have added value in heart attack prevention
The American Diabetes Association has come out with guidelines for aspirin use in diabetes.
1. Aspirin should ONLY be used in any diabetic patient who has evidence of heart disease, a prior heart attack, previous bypass procedures, astroke, angina, claudication, or blood vessel disease.
2. Aspirin therapy should be considered in high-risk men and women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. This includes diabetic patients with the following:
A family history of heart disease
Cigarette smoking
Hypertension
Positive protein in the urine (albuminuria)
High cholesterol
Over age 30
You should take a daily aspirin only if your doctor advises you to do so. If you have had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor will likely recommend you take a daily aspirin unless you have a serious allergy or history of bleeding.
Should you take a daily aspirin?
You shouldn't start daily aspirin therapy on your own in an effort to prevent a heart attack. Your doctor may suggest daily aspirin