Early cousin of aspirin used to treat Type 2 diabetes

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By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

Doctors have turned back the clock more than 100 years to rediscover a cousin of aspirin that could help the more than 15 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes. It's one drug that may provide twice the relief.


Diabetes patient Mary Ann Provost's pain from diabetes and arthritis nearly made her give up one of her favorite activities.

"I was seriously doubting whether I was going to do any golf," said Provost.

Now relief could be in these pills.

"I think it's a miracle drug. I really do," said Provost.

The drug called salsalate is currently approved to treat joint pain, but researchers say it might also help those with Type 2 diabetes.

"We've shown that using the drug for short periods of time can lower blood sugars both before people eat and after they eat and their average blood sugar measurements over time," said Dr. Allison, clinical research head with the Joslin Diabetes Center.

How does salsalate work? Doctors say just like it reduces inflammation in joints, it does the same in other tissues. That in turn, may lower blood sugar levels. After a little more digging, doctors realized they had landed on a path that was forged more than a hundred years ago. A medical journal dating back to 1876 reported using aspirin - the simple form of salsalate - to treat a patient with diabetes.

"It's one of those rare moments in doing science where we actually can say, 'Ah, ha! We made a discovery!' There's something new here," said Dr. Steven Shoelson, medical researcher at Joslin Diabetes Center.

Provost's blood sugar levels are stable and healthy and her arthritis is under control.

"I'm a different person," she said.

It's a discovery that led Provost to a winning course of treatment.

Doctors say prescription salsalate not only has a good safety profile, it's also inexpensive. A large clinical trial is planned for later this year.