Chronotherapy with Low-dose Aspirin for Primary Prevention

Brief summary: Aspirin (ASA) has been shown to provide marked benefits in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Substantial evidence suggests that low-dose ASA therapy should also be used as a primary prevention strategy in men and women with diabetes who are at high cardiovascular risk. On the other hand, there is current evidence on the potential benefits of low-dose ASA therapy in subjects with impaired fasting glucose, including those with metabolic syndrome. Most important, previous laboratory animal and clinical trial research convincingly demonstrates administration time-dependent (with reference to circadian rhythms) effects of ASA. Thus, the effects of ASA upon lipoperoxides, b-adrenergic receptors, and blood pressure (BP) in clinically healthy subjects depend on the circadian timing of ASA administration. The administration-time-dependent influence of ASA on BP was previously demonstrated in a randomized trial on healthy women and other independent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials conducted, first, on clinically healthy subjects, a second one on normotensive and hypertensive subjects, a third one on pregnant women at high risk for preeclampsia and a fourth one in previously untreated patients with mild hypertension. The findings of these BP studies are consistent; BP-lowering effect of low-dose ASA is achieved when administered at bedtime but not upon awakening. In keeping with the chronopharmacological effects of ASA and the previous findings suggesting that ASA at low dose may exert a potential beneficial effect on BP, endothelium function and cardiovascular function, this prospective, randomized, parallel-arm study will investigate the potential influence of ASA on the primary prevention of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal events in subjects with either impaired fasting glucose (≥ 100 mg/dl) or previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, who will receive low-dose ASA (100 mg/day) at different circadian times (upon awakening or at bedtime) in relation to their rest-activity cycle.