Why don’t doctors prescribe daily Aspirin if a patient does not have cardiovascular disease?
Research was done in 2018 about the daily use of Aspirin in adults with diabetes who had no history of cardiovascular disease.
This research focused on 15,480 people, and half of them received Aspirin daily. The remaining half of the subjects were given a placebo. The researchers studied the participants over an average time of 7.4 years and discovered that:
- Severe bleeding happened significantly in people ingesting Aspirin (4.1 percent) compared to the people taking placebo (3.2 percent)
- Severe cardiovascular events occurred in a lower percentage of the half taking daily Aspirin (8.5 percent) compared to those given the placebo (9.6 percent)
They concluded that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages for people with diabetes and no history of cardiovascular disease.
However, a 2019 review of the research did not have the same results. The review included information from 34,227participants with diabetes and no history of cardiovascular disease. the researchers found that:
- Daily Aspirin reduced the risks of cardiovascular disease by 11 percent
- Researchers discovered that the information collected previously showed higher bleeding rates in people with diabetes who consume daily Aspirin.
- Ingesting daily Aspirin did not lead to a significant increase in bleeding risks.
Safety
People with diabetes can take a daily dose of Aspirin because it prevents cardiovascular events from occurring. However, bleeding risks will still be present. The use of Aspirin in diabetic patients majorly depends on history; if the person has had cardiovascular diseases in the past or if the person has currently. Therefore, the safety of a patient depends on their cardiovascular health.
Conclusion
Diabetic Patients should speak with their doctors before using Aspirin or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen to reduce pain.