In a recently published study [1], the authors try to prove the possibility of using low-dose aspirin for the prevention of clinical type 2 diabetes in women. Information on long-term use of aspirin (100 mg every other day) to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes was gathered from the Women’s Health Study (WHS) as part of a study in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer over a 10-year period in healthy women, randomizing 38,716 patients. The median follow-up was 10.2 years among women randomly assigned to receive aspirin (n = 19,326) or placebo (n = 19,390), and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of type 2 diabetes. There were 849 cases of diabetes in the aspirin group and 847 in the placebo group (relative risk (RR) 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91–1.11). Treatment duration ≤ 5 years (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.86–1.15) or ≥ 5 years (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.90–1.15) did not vary significantly across subgroups of women at high risk for diabetes. Some significant risk reductions in total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were noted but no correlation to lowering the risk of incidence in type 2 diabetes was observed. Higher rates of clinically significant bleeding episodes were seen in the aspirin arm compared to placebo (RR 1.22, p < 0.001).
Author(s)
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Konstantinos Tserotas
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Complejo Hospitalario Metropolitano, Caja del Seguro Social de Panama
Citations
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Pradhan AD, Cook NR, Manson JE, Ridker PM, Buring JE. A randomized trial of low-dose aspirin in the prevention of clinical type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care 2009;32:3-8. Published January 2009.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18835953 -
Shoelson SE, Lee J, Goldfine AB. Inflammation and insulin resistance. J Clin Invest 2006;116:1793-801.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16823477 -
Hundal RS, Petersen KF, Mayerson AB, et al. Mechanism by which high-dose aspirin improves glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes. J Clin Invest 2002;109:1321-6.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12021247 -
Ridker PM, Cook NR, Lee IM, et al. A randomized trial of low-dose aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. N Engl J Med 2005;352:1293-304.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753114 -
Berger JS, Roncaglioni MC, Avanzini F, et al. Aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in women and men: a sex-specific meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA 2006;295:306-13.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16418466 -
Aspirin for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med 2009;150:396-404. Published March 17, 2009.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19293072
