A low dose of aspirin has been shown to protect some people from heart attacks and other problems, but people with type 2 diabetes may not get the benefit.

However, while it did not appear to stop events such as heart attacks and strokes, it did cut into fatal heart attacks and strokes.

Generally, people with type 2 diabetes have a two- to four- times greater risk of cardiovascular problems, the author of a study on the issue wrote.

Researchers in Japan studied more than 2,500 patients with type 2 diabetes with no family history of narrowing or hardening if the arteries. They were split about equally into two groups, one of which got a daily dose of aspirin.

After an average of four years of study, researchers said that the difference in rates of problems between the two groups -- especially those under age 65 -- was not significant.

They reported that there were 68 cases of artery problems in the aspirin group and 86 in those that did not take aspirin regularly.

The study will appear in the Nov. 12 print issue of JAMA.