New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg, Germany, suggests that the use of low-dose aspirin (100mg daily) among older adults aged 65 years and older is associated with a 15% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study indicates that anti-inflammatory agents like aspirin may warrant further investigation in diabetes prevention.
Background and Study Details
Led by Professor Sophia Zoungas from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, the research aimed to determine the impact of low-dose aspirin on incident type 2 diabetes and fasting plasma glucose levels in older adults.
The study was a follow-up to the ASPREE trial, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of aspirin conducted among older adults.
The original trial results, published in 2018, showed that aspirin increased the risk of major hemorrhage but did not reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Participants and Method
The study enrolled individuals aged 65 and older, free of cardiovascular disease, significant physical disability, and dementia. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of aspirin daily or a placebo.
Incident diabetes was defined as self-reported diabetes, initiation of glucose-lowering medication, or a fasting plasma glucose level of 7.0 mmol/L or higher during annual follow-up visits. Participants with diabetes at the beginning of the study were excluded.
Key Findings
Over a median follow-up of 4.7 years, the study recorded 995 incident cases of diabetes, with 459 in the aspirin group and 536 in the placebo group.
Compared to the placebo group, the aspirin group experienced a 15% reduction in the risk of developing diabetes and a slower increase in fasting plasma glucose levels over time.
Implications and Caution
The authors emphasize that the potential of anti-inflammatory agents like aspirin to prevent type 2 diabetes or improve glucose levels warrants further investigation, especially given the growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes among older adults.
However, they also highlight the importance of considering the overall health of older individuals.
Professor Zoungas notes that the findings don’t change the current clinical advice about aspirin use in older people. Prescribing guidelines recommend daily aspirin only when medically necessary, such as after a heart attack.
While these findings are intriguing, they should not alter the current approach to aspirin use among older adults.
In summary, this study suggests a potential link between low-dose aspirin and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in older adults.
However, further research is needed, and current clinical guidelines regarding aspirin use in older individuals remain unchanged.
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The research findings can be found in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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