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Aspirin Therapy - Is It Right For You?
By April M. Hopper, RPh, PharmD
Taking one low-dose (75 mg – 162 mg) aspirin daily may help decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke in people with diabetes. This is good news, since people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die of complications from cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack or stroke. Heart attacks and strokes are often a result of a combination of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries caused by high cholesterol) and blood clots. In addition to alleviating conditions like pain and fever, aspirin reduces the production of substances involved in the early stages of the body’s clotting mechanism. This helps prevent blood clots.
Aspirin therapy is not for everyone, but you should consider asking your physician about adding aspirin therapy to your current drug regimen if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and are older than 40 years of age, OR have one or more of the following risk factors:
- someone in your family has cardiovascular disease
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- protein in your urine
If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, are 30 years of age or older, and have had a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problem, taking a low-dose aspirin once daily can help prevent the problem from recurring. Ask your physician about aspirin therapy if you have had one of the following:
- heart attack
- chest pain
- bypass surgery
- stroke
- transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke)
- peripheral vascular disease
- pain in the legs due to poor circulation (claudication)
Aspirin, like any medication, has side effects associated with its use and is not considered safe for everyone. Ask your physician before adding aspirin to your regimen, especially if you:
- are allergic to aspirin
- bleed easily
- are pregnant or breast-feeding
- are taking blood thinners
- have had stomach or intestinal bleeding recently
- have active liver disease
- are under 21 years of age, due to the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome
- are between the ages of 21 and 30 years, as aspirin has not been well studied in this age group
Despite what is known about the benefits of aspirin, this medication remains underutilized in people with diabetes. Recent studies suggest that less than one-half of people with diabetes who might benefit from aspirin therapy are being treated. Taking one low-dose aspirin daily is a simple way to help prevent the complications of cardiovascular disease. Ask your physician today if aspirin therapy is right for you. If it is, your Rite Aid Pharmacist can help you select the best product for you.
