Research

Hormonal

Salsalate, a non-acetylated salicylate, lowers blood glucose and triglycerides in type 2 diabetes by activating AMPK and inhibiting NF-κB, but its effect on cardiovascular plaque progression is unclear.

Salsalate, a form of salicylate, can lower blood sugar and triglycerides in people with type 2 diabetes by activating AMPK, a key metabolic sensor. While it shows promise for glycemic control, its effect on preventing heart disease (plaque progression) is not yet clear. It is not a standard treatment but may be considered in specific cases.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
More recent proof-of-concept studies showed salsalate, a prodrug dimer of salicylate, lowered fasting glucose and triglycerides, increased adiponectin, and improved glucose utilization during euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps in T2D and obese nondiabetic persons.
Allison B. Goldfine et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2017

Why this rating

Multiple randomized trials show glycemic benefit, but cardiovascular outcomes are mixed or inconclusive.

Source

Therapeutic approaches targeting inflammation for diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk

Allison B. Goldfine et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2017

DOI 10.1172/jci88884

narrative_reviewCited 173×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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