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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Aspirin Therapy for Diabetes

Diabetic patients use different therapies to control the complication of the disorder. Aspirin is one of the most commonly used therapies for diabetic patients. Though the actual effect of aspirin towards diabetes is vague, aspirin therapy is found to be effective, up to certain extent, in diabetic patients.

Aspirin therapies are generally used to control the cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients. Death rate in diabetic patients is four times more in the patients with cardiovascular diseases. The major cardiovascular diseases associated with a diabetic patient are atherosclerosis, and vascular thrombosis. The reason for rise in cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients is due to the increased production of thromboxane. This increase in production of thromboxane causes aggregation of platelets in the blood. Due to aggregation of platelets, the circulation of blood is blocked at some parts of the body. Aspirin therapies are given to diabetic patients to impede the process of aggregation of platelets, by acetylating the enzyme cyclo-oxygenage, which helps in the aggregation of platelets.

Experimental analysis have shown that giving a lower dose of aspirin to a diabetic patients with cardiovascular diseases is useful, as a secondary strategy, for lowering cardiovascular diseases. In another study, it was found that giving aspirin therapy, of around 320 mg/day to diabetic patients, is useful in lowering the diabetic cardiovascular disease.

Giving aspirin therapy to a diabetic patient is helpful in preventing diabetic retinopathy. An experimental study about the effect of aspirin on diabetic retinopathy reveals that aspirin therapy may be used as a primary and secondary preventive measure for diabetic retinopathy. Though this mode of therapy is not recommended yet.

In an experimental study of about 20,000 diabetic patients with cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction, aspirin therapy is found to be useful in lowering the cardiovascular diseases by 16%, and by 68% with myocardial infarction. Aspirin therapy is useful in diabetic patients who have blood less than 160mmHg.

A dose of 70 mg of enteric-coated aspirin is effective enough to inhibit the synthesis of thromboxane. A lower dose of aspirin is better, as it is more effective with lower dose and also decreases the side effects of the therapy.

If aspirin therapy is used for a long time, it may cause bleeding on the walls of intestine, and may cause gastric mucosal injury. People who use aspirin for a long period may become a victim of hemorrhagic stroke. Use of aspirin also increases bleeding in other parts of body. Use of aspirin therapy has no effect on diabetic retinopathy, it neither improves nor cures in diabetic retinopathy. Use of aspirin may increase the problem of chronic renal diseases and blood pressure in the diabetic patients. Aspirin is not recommended for diabetic patients who are very young.

As always consult with your physician before starting any therapy.

Source:http://www.diabetic-tips.com/aspirin.htm

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