Long-term administration of acetylsalicylic acid in impaired glucose tolerance in addition to the diet: effects and limits.

The effect of controlled long-term oral trial with 2 g/die of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in addition to diet in 14 patients suffering from impaired glucose tolerance (according to WHO criteria) was compared to diet alone plus placebo (PL). All patients were randomly assigned to ASA or PL, and then submitted to cross-over scheduling procedure (30 + 30 days). Plasma glucose levels observed after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, 100 g) became normal in patients receiving ASA for 30 days (p less than 0.01 at x2 analysis). No change of abnormal OGTT data was observed when patients were treated with PL. Insulin secretin after OGTT and after i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT, 5 g) was unmodified by ASA. Basal glucose levels and plasma glucose disappearance rate after IVGTT also remained unchanged after ASA. Only two subjects had to stop ASA treatment because of gastric discomfort. The oral administration of 2 g of ASA might possibly interfere with intestinal glucose absorption. The well known influence of ASA on prostaglandin synthesis and on insulin secretion could not be relevant in our own pharmacological approach.