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Some – but not all - patients with diabetes may benefit from taking aspirin daily. For more than 100 years, aspirin has been used as a pain reliever for headaches and other minor aches and pains. More recently, its role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of premature death among patients with diabetes, has been widely studied. At least 65 percent of patients with diabetes will die from complications related to heart attack or stroke, according to the American Diabetes Association.
The precise reason why aspirin helps prevent cardiovascular disorders is unknown. Researchers believe that it helps keep red blood cells from clumping together, a condition that appears to be more prevalent among those with diabetes. When red blood cells cluster, they can form clots that narrow or block blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Some patients with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes or other forms of diabetes can benefit from daily aspirin therapy.
Aspirin also appears to have anti-inflammatory properties. By reducing inflammation, aspirin appears to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, aspirin may be helpful in protecting people from blockages in the blood vessels of the brain, which can prevent strokes and mini-strokes (transient ischemic attacks). Scientists are studying whether inflammation plays a role in causing diabetes and whether salsalate, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) related to aspirin, may help treat type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Recent research has found that aspirin therapy might have other benefits, including reduced risk of certain cancers, prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and possibly asthma.
Aspirin therapy is not appropriate for everyone. For people taking certain antidiabetic agents to control type 2 diabetes, such as sulfonylureas, daily aspirin therapy may not be recommended. Aspirin may influence the effectiveness of diabetes medications. Patients with aspirin sensitivities may be advised by their physician to use substitutes, such as antiplatelet medications, to obtain benefits similar to those provided by daily aspirin therapy.
In addition, people with kidney or liver disease generally are not advised to begin daily aspirin therapy because of the potential damage that may be caused to these organs. Long-term use of painkillers, especially aspirin and acetaminophen at the same time, may damage the kidneys in people with diabetes. However, a single daily dose of aspirin to protect cardiovascular health is normally safe. Aspirin therapy is not advised for people under the age of 21 because of the risk of developing the rare but potentially serious Reye’s syndrome. | 
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