For years, a daily low dose of aspirin has been prescribed to help prevent heart attacks and strokes, both for diabetic patients and non-diabetic. Aspirin thins the blood and prevents clots, which keeps blood flowing freely to the heart and brain. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease, due to the production of thromboxane, which causes blood vessels to constrict and cells to clump and form clots inside the arteries. Aspirin serves to block the thromboxane. However, aspirin may also cause increased bleeding in the brain, which could lead to a hemorrhagic stroke, and may also be responsible for gastrointestinal bleeding. Opinions are split as to whether or not benefits outweigh the risks, especially in the case of a diabetic and aspirin regimen. In 2010, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American College of Cardiology Foundation, and the American Heart Association …

Long used by non-diabetic patients as part of preventative therapy for cardiovascular disease, the use of aspirin and diabetes preventative therapies is newer. A scientific statement from 2010 said that low-dose aspirin is “reasonable” for people with no history of vascular disease by with a high 10-year risk of cardiovascular complications. The statement, released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Heart Association (AHA), and American College of Cardiology (ACC) called for stricter criteria in the use of aspirin therapy for diabetics. The new aspirin/diabetes guidelines restrict the once general recommendation of aspirin for diabetics over the age of 40.

Diabetes Aspirin Guidelines

The potential risks of side effects of aspirin therapy have been weighed against the benefits leading to the decision that low-dose aspirin (75-162 mg/d) is now only recommended for diabetic adults with no history of cardiovascular disease but who are at increased risk of cardiovascular …