A drug called picotamide appears to be a more effective blood-thinner than aspirin for people with diabetes, according to an Italian study. Previous research has suggested that aspirin may not work as well for diabetics in preventing vascular events, such as heart attacks or stroke, as it does for other people. Dr. Sergio Coccheri, of the University of Bologna, and colleagues tested picotamide -- which has a double-action anti-platelet effect -- against aspirin in 1200 patients ages 40 to 75 with a history of type 2 diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. The results of their study, published in the European Heart Journal, show that over an average period of 2 years, there were 17 deaths in the picotamide group and 31 in the aspirin group. The 45 percent difference in mortality risk was statistically significant, Coccheri’s team reports.
