[Do we adequately prescribe antiplatelet treatment to type 2 diabetic patients?]

To estimate how many type 2 diabetic patients receive antiplatelet therapy according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines on primary and secondary prevention.

A descriptive, cross-sectional study based on information in medical records. A random sample of 170 type 2 diabetics seen in an urban Health Centre was studied.

The data collected including, age, sex, antiplatelet therapy according to the ADA, antiplatelet therapy indicated, cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease, and other clinical parameters.

Of the subjects analysed, 56.9% were males, and the mean age was 67.8 years. The majority of patients (71.2%) were on primary prevention, and 44.4% of the diabetics were receiving adequate antiplatelet therapy according to the ADA. Among the subjects on secondary prevention, 90.9% received adequate antiplatelet therapy, while only 25.7% of those on primary prevention received it, which was significant. The most used antiplatelet drug was acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).

A large proportion of diabetes on primary prevention does not receive adequate antiplatelet therapy, according to the ADA. However, patients on secondary prevention receive sufficient antiplatelet treatment. The benefits of ASA in reducing cardiovascular disease are well documented in patients with cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, the role of antiplatelet therapy in diabetics on primary prevention is not clear and is the subject of discussion. From 2006 to 2011, the ADA has modified the recommendation level of primary prevention antiplatelet therapy, thus decreasing the percentage of patients that may be given antiplatelet therapy with ASA, to the extent that it increases the cardiovascular risk calculation required for its indication.