Type 2 diabetics should take aspirin twice a day

Taking aspirin twice a day may help protect people with type 2 diabetes from suffering a heart attack or stroke, new research reveals.

When taken the recommended once a day, patients suffer an increased risk of blood clotting between doses, a study found. Blood clots can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as heart attacks and stroke.

Researchers advise patients have the drug twice over 24 hours to reduce their likelihood of suffering ‘clumps’ between administrations.

Study author Dr Liv Vernstroem from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, said: ‘Given that platelets in people with diabetes are characterised by increased aggregation and increased turnover rates, our study indicates that patients with type 2 diabetes may achieve additional benefit from twice daily rather than once daily dosing of aspirin.’

CVD is the leading cause of illness and death in people with type 2 diabetes.

Taking aspirin twice a day may help protect people with type 2 diabetes from a heart attack

EATING MEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES BY UP TO 23% DUE TO ITS HIGH-IRON CONTENT

Eating meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 23 per cent, research revealed earlier this month.

People who consume the highest amounts of red meat raise their likelihood of developing the condition by 23 per cent over those who eat the lowest quantities, a study by Duke–NUS Medical School in Singapore found.

Frequently eating poultry increases the risk of the condition by 15 per cent, the research adds.

The same is not true for fish or seafood, the study found.

Red meat and poultry are thought to raise type 2 diabetes’ risk as they contain the iron-rich compound heme, as well as other chemicals, which may increase a person’s susceptibility to the insulin-resistance condition.

How the research was carried out

The researchers analysed 21 people with type 2 diabetes but without CVD.

They were assessed for one week after receiving low-dose aspirin.

Blood samples were taken at the start of the study and one hour after taking the drug to determine any changes to the study’s participants’ platelet counts.

The participants were then treated for six days with once-daily aspirin.

Blood samples continued to be taken one hour after every aspirin, as well as a day later.

Once a day increases risk of clotting between doses

Results reveal that when aspirin is taken once a day, its ability to prevent blood clots, and therefore reduce the risk of CVD, is diminished.

The researchers therefore recommend type 2 diabetes patients take the drug twice over 24 hours.

The findings also show participants who were not taking aspirin before the study’s initiation had greater blood ‘clumping’.

Dr Vernstroem said: ‘Given that platelets in people with diabetes are characterised by increased aggregation and increased turnover rates, our study indicates that patients with type 2 diabetes may achieve additional benefit from twice daily rather than once daily dosing of aspirin.

‘Large-scale clinical outcome trials are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of this approach.’

The findings were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes congress in Lisbon.

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