A preliminary study found that adults with type 2 diabetes and a moderate or high risk of cardiovascular disease were less likely to experience a serious cardiovascular event when taking low-dose aspirin. The corresponding study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025.
“We know that in recent studies aspirin hasn’t proven beneficial for primary prevention in people who don’t have established cardiovascular disease. However, Type 2 diabetes is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said corresponding author of the study, Aleesha Kainat, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, in a press release.
“In our study, we wanted to better understand low-dose aspirin use in this very niche group of adults with Type 2 diabetes and with a moderate-to-high risk of cardiovascular disease – so, a population group who may or may not have been included in previous trials,” she continued.
For the study, the researchers analyzed electronic health data spanning 10 years from over 11,500 adults with type 2 diabates and a moderate or high risk of a cardiovascular event. Participants were an average of 62 years old, and 46% were female. The study excluded individuals with a higher risk of bleeding. Over the study’s 10-year follow-up, 89% of participants reported taking low-dose aspirin, and 53% reported taking statins.
Ultimately, they found that while 42% of those taking low-dose aspirin had a heart attack, the same was true for 61% not taking the painkiller. Those taking aspirin also had a lower risk of stroke and death from any cause within 10 years than those not taking the drug. Benefits were greatest among participants who most frequently took low-dose aspirin.
The findings have some limitations. The study’s observational nature means that the findings do not prove causation. Furthermore, the researchers assessed low-dose aspirin from reports within individuals’ health records, which may not accurately reflect how often people actually took the drug or whether they took other unreported over-the-counter medications.
“While the American Heart Association does not currently recommend low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease for adults with Type 2 diabetes who have no history of cardiovascular disease, this study raises some good questions for further research and validation,” said Amit Khera, M.D., the volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Advocacy Coordinating Committee who was not involved in the study, in a press release.
Sources: EurekAlert
