According to this story on CNN (which is a summary of a report published in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin), the risks associated with taking a daily aspirin for primary cardiovascular prevention may outweigh the benefits. The major risks include gastrointestinal bleeding (bleeding in the gut) or hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding around the brain).
I'm very curious to see how the American Diabetes Association (ADA and the American Heart Association (AHA) respond to this new study.
What if we're not using the proper methods to risk stratify patients? Those who have diabetes are considered to be at "high risk" automatically because they're considered to have a coronary heart disease "risk equivalent" based on the ATP III or Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III).
Before you make any changes to your medications, discuss this issue with your health care provider.
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