Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in diabetes

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes. Aspirin is commonly used in the treatment and prevention of CVD, and the effectiveness of aspirin for the secondary prevention of CVD is well established in people with or without diabetes. In contrast, the role of aspirin in primary prevention is still controversial as the cardiovascular benefit of aspirin may not outweigh the risk of haemorrhage. Even though diabetes raises cardiovascular risk which would suggest that aspirin could have a greater benefit, it remains uncertain whether there is a clear net benefit of aspirin in primary prevention of CVD in people with diabetes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.