Aspirin Intake Falls Short in Women

Aspirin use is down among women withdiabetes, according to a study reported inthe Archives of Internal Medicine (December13, 2004). The study found that inadult patients with diabetes who do nothave cardiovascular disease, 42% of menand 34% of women take aspirin regularly.Researchers at Northwestern Universityoffered several explanations for low aspirinuse among women. For example,physicians may not counsel women withdiabetes to take aspirin if the physiciansunderestimate the women's risk for cardiovasculardisease events. One of theinvestigators said, "However, even thoughwomen are at lower risk of new-onset cardiovasculardisease than men, diabetesgreatly reduces this female advantage."