RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The American Diabetic Association recommends type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) to take aspirin therapy as a primary preventive way. It should be implemented in cases that are aged over 40 with at least one additional risk such as hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia. Urine microalbumin now also ranks as a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to evaluate the rate of urine microalbumin determination and the use of such preventative aspirin therapy at Srinagarind Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The authors randomly selected the charts of type 2 diabetics treated for at least one year at the hospital a outpatient department by a block of four techniques. The inclusion criteria were aged more than 40 years old and never had any atherosclerotic events. Cases were excluded if they had a history of aspirin allergy or active upper gastrointestinal bleeding. By the end of July, 2004, 109 patients were enrolled (44 males). RESULTS: The mean age and duration of diagnosed diabetes mellitus was 60.8 and 7.4 years, respectively. Forty-four cases (40.4%) were checked for urine microalbumin. Eight cases had microalbuminuria and four cases had macroalbuminuria. Every case was treated with aspirin because they had at least one additional atherosclerotic risk factor, mostly more than two. But aspirin therapy was used in only 35 cases (32.1%) with the appropriate dose in only six cases (17.1%). CONCLUSION: Physicians should consider more about checking urine microalbumin and aspirin as primary prevention in type 2 DM.