Asprin and Diabetes

Salsalate may help type 2 diabetes management.
The New York Times (3/16, D5, Rabin) reports that salsalate, an "inexpensive, generic anti-inflammatory drug from the aspirin family, helped patients in a clinical trial manage their type 2 diabetes and lower their blood sugar, adding to evidence that inflammation plays a role in diabetes, and possibly pointing to new therapeutic approaches to the disease." Patients in the "randomized clinical trial led by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center improved their blood sugar levels after three months, with those taking the highest dose lowering their hemoglobin A1C scores by 0.5 percent on average," as well as lowered their triglycerides. "Even more importantly, the work may help unravel the root causes of diabetes, said Dr. Steven E. Shoelson, the paper's senior author and head of Joslin's research section on pathophysiology and molecular pharmacology."
WebMD (3/15, Warner) noted that salsalate "also has been shown to increase protein in the urine and its long-term safety will need further investigation." The Boston Globe (3/16, Weintraub), HealthDay (3/15, Preidt) and US News & World Report (3/15, Payne) also covered the story.