| Diabetes mellitus type II (T2DM) has reached epidemic proportions globally. Current research focuses on the possible inflammatory mechanism which may be the cause of the disease on a molecular level, with previous studies demonstrating high doses of the anti-inflammatory drug acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) effective for lowering glycemic levels. No published studies to date have examined if the ASA levels given at doses for maintaining cardiovascular health have an impact on the maintenance of glycemic control in patients diagnosed with T2DM. This study, a non-experimental, retrospective cohort design, compared diabetic patients given low-dose ASA therapy, alone or in combination with metformin, a common antiglycemic drug with anti-inflammatory properties, to patients not receiving such therapy to elucidate if a significant change in glycemic control could be demonstrated. Study participants included patients with T2DM who are treated at a rural family practice in Southwest Virginia. Participants meeting study criteria were sorted into four treatment or control groups based on whether they were prescribed ASA monotherapy, metformin monotherapy, ASA and metformin therapies combined, or neither therapy, and evaluated for pre- and post-ASA initiation blood levels of hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), to determine if any of the therapeutic interventions had a significant impact on glycemic control over a six month period. Study findings demonstrated that ASA given at a dose of 325 mg daily can significantly impact glycemic control in diabetics who are not yet on oral antiglycemic agents. Lower daily ASA doses and metformin coupled with ASA therapy did not yield any significant difference in glycemic control in this study. Study results indicate that a double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of 325 mg ASA daily on glycemic control over a four to six month period in T2DM patients not yet on oral antiglycemics should be conducted. |
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