What Did the Research Discover?

Researchers investigated whether low-dose aspirin could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in older adults. The study included 16,209 people aged 70 and older (or 65 and older for some U.S. minority groups) who were generally healthy and did not have diabetes at the start of the study.

Participants were randomly assigned to take either 100 mg of aspirin or a placebo (a pill with no active ingredient) every day. Researchers followed them for an average of 4.7 years to track new cases of diabetes, changes in blood sugar levels, and any major side effects.

The results showed that people taking aspirin had a 15% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those taking the placebo. Additionally, aspirin slowed the rise in fasting blood sugar levels over five years. However, aspirin also had a downside—it increased the risk of serious bleeding by 44%, including stomach bleeding and bleeding in the brain.

How Can I Apply This Information?

This study suggests that aspirin may help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and slow blood sugar increases, but it also comes with a higher risk of major bleeding. While the findings are interesting, more research is needed before aspirin can be recommended for diabetes prevention.

If you are an older adult concerned about diabetes, talk to your doctor about safer ways to lower your risk, such as diet changes, exercise, and weight management. If you are already taking aspirin for other health reasons, discuss whether the benefits outweigh the risks for your situation.

Source: 

Zoungas S, Zhou Z, Owen AJ, Curtis AJ, Espinoza SE, Ernst ME, Woods RL, Orchard SG, McNeil JJ, Murray AM, Nelson MR. Daily low-dose aspirin and incident type 2 diabetes in community-dwelling healthy older adults: a post-hoc analysis of efficacy and safety in the ASPREE randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2024 Feb 1;12(2):98-106. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38142708/

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