Diabetics urged to take pill

Tuesday September 1st, 2009

People with diabetes should continue to take aspirin to prevent heart disease - in spite of questions about the pill, an expert said yesterday.

A major study reported to heart specialists meeting in Barcelona, Spain, had suggested no benefit in taking aspirin for people without diagnosed heart disease - even if they are high risk.

However Professor Harald Darius, a German cardiologist, said trials are under way that specifically involve people with diabetes.

He said all people with diabetes over the age of 65 should take aspirin and those under 65 should also take it if there is at least one other risk factor, such as obesity or high blood pressure.

Speaking at the European Society of Cardiology conference, he said: "The substantial uncertainty about the role of aspirin for the prevention of myocardial infarctions and strokes among apparently vascular healthy diabetes will remain until results of ongoing trials focussing on diabetics will be published in the years to come."

* A second study reported last night reports success in creating insulin-producing cells from cells taken from people with type 1 diabetes.

The researchers, from Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA, report that the new cells are a genetic match for the patient.

They said the process of getting the cells to produce insulin was "not very efficient".

The findings were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers write: "If coupled with a technique to prevent the patient's immune system from rejecting the new stem cells, these cells could be useful for transplantation, although their principal value is as a tool to study how and why diabetes occurs in the first instance."

* Meanwhile at the heart conference, an expert called for humans to cut down on red meat consumption for the sake of their hearts - and also to combat global warming.

Heart disease and global warming have similar origins, accordiong to Professor Ole Faergeman, of Aarhus Amtssygehus University Hospital, Denmark.

He called on heart disease specialists to take the link on board - as it could lead to common solutions.

He said: "For example recommendations could be given regarding the consumption of red meat such as those already made by oncology institutions."

PNAS August 31 2009; article #09-06894

Tags: Diabetes | Diet & Food | Europe | Heart Health

Printer friendly page