Diabetes UK's New Aspirin Guidelines

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 23 Oct 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Diabetes UK has published its new recommendation that people with diabetes who do not have a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) should speak to their healthcare team before taking aspirin as protection from future heart disease.

Although aspirin has been shown to safely reduce the risk of CVD in people with diabetes who already have a history of the diabetes complication, this is not the case for people without a history of CVD.

It has recently been suggested that an increased risk of bleeding associated with aspirin may outweigh its potential to protect against CVD in people without a history of CVD.

New recommendations

"Diabetes UK recommends that people with diabetes without known cardiovascular disease should discuss their individual risk with their healthcare team," said Libby Dowling, Care Advisor for Diabetes UK.

"People without a history of cardiovascular disease who are already taking aspirin should continue to do so until they have discussed their individual circumstances with their healthcare team."

Diabetes UK recommends that aspirin should be offered to people with diabetes who already have a history of CVD.

CVD is a term that includes heart disease, stroke/transient ischaemic-attack (TIA), and peripheral vascular disease.

Source
Diabetes UK