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Obesity is associated with impaired platelet-inhibitory effect of acetylsalicylic acid in nondiabetic subjects

International Journal of Obesity volume 27, pages 907–911 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Platelet aggregation responses to acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) show considerable interindividual variation, the causes of which are largely unknown. We determined whether variation in insulin action is associated with that of ASA on platelets.

SUBJECTS: In all, 10 nonobese (age 50±3 y, BMI 25±1 kg/m2) and 11 obese (age 52±2 y, BMI 32±1 kg/m2) subjects.

MEASUREMENTS: Insulin sensitivity of glucose uptake was determined by the euglycemic insulin clamp technique. Platelet aggregation responses to four doses of arachidonic acid (AA) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) were assessed in platelet-rich plasma before and 1 h after ingestion of 50 mg ASA using Born's turbidometric aggregometer.

RESULTS: Whole-body insulin sensitivity (M-value 0–180 min) was 36% lower in the obese (4.5±0.6) than the nonobese (7.1±0.6 mg/kg min, P<0.01) group. Before ASA, all doses of AA induced complete aggregation. After ASA ingestion, ASA inhibited maximal aggregation more in the nonobese than the obese group at AA concentrations of 0.75, 1 and 1.5 mmol/l (P=0.016 for ANOVA). ADP-induced aggregation at high doses (2 and 3 μmol/l) was also less inhibited in the obese group. In vivo insulin sensitivity (r=−0.68, P<0.001 for 1 mmol/l AA) and BMI (r=0.58, P<0.01 for 1 mmol/l AA) were closely correlated with residual aggregation after ASA administration.

CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that obese insulin-resistant subjects have a blunted response to platelet-inhibitory effect of ASA. If this blunted effect is of a single dose of ASA preserved in continuous use, it could contribute to the increased risk of atherothrombosis in insulin-resistant individuals.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by grants from the Academy of Finland (Hannele Yki-Järvinen, Jukka Westerbacka), the Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation (Jukka Westerbacka), Liv och Hälsa (Hannele Yki-Järvinen), the Juselius (Hannele Yki-Järvinen) and Novo Nordisk (Hannele Yki-Järvinen), Foundations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Diabetes, Helsinki, Finland

    M Tamminen, J Westerbacka, S Vehkavaara & H Yki-Järvinen

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    R Lassila

  3. Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    R Lassila

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  1. M Tamminen
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Correspondence to H Yki-Järvinen.

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Tamminen, M., Lassila, R., Westerbacka, J. et al. Obesity is associated with impaired platelet-inhibitory effect of acetylsalicylic acid in nondiabetic subjects. Int J Obes 27, 907–911 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802312

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