Aspirin may not protect some people with type 2 diabetes against blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes, new research suggests.
The findings, presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston this week, indicate as many as half of diabetics may be “aspirin resistant” and don’t benefit from normal doses.
"This result adds to our understanding of the prevalence of this problem, which varies considerably among studies," said lead researcher Dr. Subhashini Yaturu, with the Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany. "The standard baby aspirin may not be adequate for subjects with diabetes for cardiovascular protection."
Type 2 diabetes affects nearly 11 million Americans age 65 and older, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Low doses of aspirin are recommended to prevent strokes and heart attacks in diabetics and cardiovascular patients because they keep blood clots from forming.
But the new study found that more than half of 142 diabetes patients tracked by researchers between 2006 and 2009 were aspirin resistant.
Researchers were able to identify a chemical tied to aspirin resistance -- known as 11DhTx2 -- formed during the clotting process. High urinary levels of this chemical indicate resistance to aspirin and its beneficial anti-clotting effects.
"These results provide new information about the factors associated with aspirin resistance," Yaturu said. "This may help doctors identify people who are likely to be aspirin resistant, so that higher doses or different drugs can be prescribed to prevent blood clots. Further studies are required to clarify the appropriate dose of aspirin and or other therapies for subjects with diabetes to prevent clots. "