A new study has found that daily aspirin use may help reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes. The study discovered that individuals over the age of 65 who took a low dose (100 mg daily) of aspirin were 15% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Experts believe that the common pain reliever reduces inflammation, which is a key driver of the disease. However, they warned of an increased risk of bleeding in older adults from aspirin, meaning it should only be taken regularly after consulting a physician, similar to post-heart attack care.
Researchers aimed to test the effect of aspirin on diabetes and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels—blood sugar levels after a period of not eating—among older adults. The team studied data from over 16,000 participants who were healthy at the beginning of the study, with half receiving 100 mg of aspirin daily and the others receiving a placebo. Following up after about five years, 995 individuals were diagnosed with diabetes—459 of whom had taken aspirin compared to 536 in the placebo group, marking a 15% decrease. Additionally, the aspirin group showed a slower rate of increase in fasting plasma glucose levels.
Professor Sophia Zongas from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, stated that the results indicate that anti-inflammatory agents like aspirin require further investigation regarding their role in diabetes prevention. She added, "Aspirin treatment reduced diabetes incidence and slowed the increase in fasting plasma glucose over time among initially healthy older adults. With the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes among older adults, the potential for anti-inflammatory agents like aspirin to prevent type 2 diabetes or improve glucose levels needs more study."
Zongas noted that "major prescription guidelines now recommend that older adults take aspirin daily only when there is a medical reason to do so, such as after a heart attack. While these new findings are intriguing, they do not change clinical advice on aspirin use in older adults at this time."
