Those diagnosed with diabetes are often 2 to 5 times more likely to suffer from heart attacks and heart disease. Traditionally aspirin and antioxidant supplements are prescribed to type 1 and type 2 diabetes sufferers to prevent such an event.

However new research published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claims aspirin has no effect on preventing troublesome heart conditions and the practice should be overhauled.

The study followed 1276 patients with diabetes and evidence of artery disease over 40 years of age. Participants were given either aspirin or placebo, an antioxidant or placebo, aspirin and antioxidant or double placebo, and surveyed for over 8 years.

The results found there was no benefit to taking aspirin or antioxidant as a preventive treatment of heart attacks or death. The group of participants who took aspirin experienced 116 heart attacks compared with 117 in the placebo group- and there was no significant difference in events witnessed between the antioxidant group and the placebo group.

In light of these findings, and the evidence from six other well controlled trials, researchers are calling for the practice in prescribing aspirin to diabetes sufferers to stop.

“Anyone who wants to reduce their risk of acquiring disease of the heart and circulation should avoid smoking, eat a diet low in saturated fat and rich in fruit and vegetables and take up regular physical activity,” says Judy O’Sullivan, Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation.

O’Sullivan welcomes the new findings and claims it adds even more evidence against the widespread belief that aspirin has beneficial qualities for those with diabetes.

Worryingly the research published in the BMJ also points out that aspirin is one of the top 10 causes of adverse drug events- as reported to the Commission on Human Medicines. It causes gastrointestinal bleeding and the risk of bleeding increases with age and prolonged use, says the study- even though some claim smaller doses of the drug can improve your health. Read more: Smaller Aspirin Dose Better For Your Health

Professor William Hiatt adds that aspirin, unlike statins and drugs for reducing hypertension, which have a benefit in all risk groups including those with and without heart disease, only patients with a history of clinical or symptomatic heart disease or stroke disease benefit from taking aspirin.

“Aspirin is a powerful drug which, when used appropriately in patients who already have the disease, can help to reduce further cardiovascular events,” adds O’Sullivan.

“However, people should not take aspirin everyday without talking to their doctor first.”

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