Q. What can you tell me about the pain reliever salsalate? My doctor says that it will not only help ease my arthritis pain but might help control my blood sugar. Diet has not controlled my borderline diabetes.
A. Salsalate has been used for more than century to relieve arthritis pain. The name indicates its chemical connection with salicylic acid, which is similar to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Like aspirin, salsalate is effective against inflammation and pain, but it does not irritate the digestive tract as aspirin does.
Preliminary research suggests that salsalate may help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes (Diabetes Care, Feb. 2008). Two other studies are now underway to determine how well this drug works for diabetes and whether it can reduce the complications of this disease.
