Since 1970’s, Aspirin has been widely accepted and regarded as the finest solution to prevention of blood clots, heart attacks and angina. It was originally known to deal with pain, swelling, inflammation and fever but since they discovered aspirin’s ability to thin blood, they started considering it as the answer to more serious illnesses.
[wp_ad_camp_4]Since it is known to decrease chances of developing cardiovascular ailments, small doses has been prescribed to patients with diabetes to further keep their blood from getting too thick. However, consumption of aspirin highly needs guidance of a doctor. Do not take it if you only have simple headache. In addition, avoid increasing the dose if you are diabetic because there are also complications from continuous intake.
Am I a candidate for aspirin therapy?
Well, taking aspirin is a serious matter. Yes, it will reduce your risks for heart attack if you are diabetic but you still need to consider a lot of guidelines beforehand. According to experts, diabetic patients aged 60 and above needs only low dose of aspirin because it is natural that risks increase along with age. On the other hand, if you are diabetic below 60, you need other risk factors like high cholesterol and blood pressure, family history and smoking. Diabetes type 2 is considered a candidate for aspirin therapy because it is associated with high cholesterol and obesity.
How does aspirin helps?
Since diabetes is defined as high blood sugar levels, it is prone to make the blood thick and develop plaques and thickening of artery walls. Aspirin works as an anticoagulant and prevents complications like stroke and heart attack.
Is aspirin safe to take with other medications?
Ask your doctor. There are possible reactions with other medicines so if you are into warfarin, heparin, steroids, ibuprofen and anti depressant, consult your doctor about the proper dosage. In addition, supplements like fish oil, omega 3 and ginkgo biloba has natural blood thinning contents so it should not be taken along with aspirin.
What are the side effects?
Daily dose of aspirin can increase your risk of bleeding. Since it is a blood-thinner, if you accidentally cut your finger, bleeding can take a little longer to stop. It can also cause internal bleeding and stomach ulcers. Aspirin can prevent clots but can cause bleeding when you had a previous stroke or history of ulcer.
There are medical suggestions saying diabetic patients are resistant to aspirin. However, there are still no proven evidences. Further studies must still be conducted according to experts so they still stand on the side that a low dose of aspirin daily is beneficial to diabetic patients to decrease potential complications. The above mentioned details about aspirin might help in deciding whether to take it or not however, guidance of a doctor is still highly recommended.