Diabetes: the best therapy, a healthy lifestyle
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ATLANTA (USA) - Treatments to control more adult diabetes and reduce cardiovascular risks that accompany them are ineffective, according to several important clinical trials published Sunday, which show in contrry that a Healthy living mode is the best medicine.
- Diabetes type 2 (non insulin-dependent) "affects 200 million people around the world and increases their risk of heart disease two to four times," said Dr. Henry Ginsberg, professor of medicine at Columbia University in New York.
Dr. Ginsberg is the author of clinical studies presented at the 59th annual conference of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) which gathers this weekend in Atlanta (Georgia, South) some 30,000 cardiologists, researchers and representatives of pharmaceutical companies.
One of these trials, with 5500 diabetics, revealed that to boost the good cholesterol (HDL) with fibrates - the U.S. Abbott Lab Tricor - in addition to the standard treatment for reducing the bad cholesterol ( LDL) with statins did not reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.
A second study conducted with nearly 5,000 diabetics with hypertension reduced systolic blood pressure in half of those subjects below the level considered normal of 120 millimeters, while others have been treated to maintain their normal tension below 140 mm.
In both cases, higher levels of good cholesterol and a drastic reduction in blood pressure, had no effect to lower the cardiovascular risk of those with diabetes.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and 65% of whom are from cardiovascular causes.
Both clinical trials were conducted as part of the large study called ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes), funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ACCORD has recruited a total of more than 10,000 diabetics aged 40 to 79 in the United States and Canada. - Another clinical trial presented Sunday at Atlanta, called INVEST (International Verapamil SR-Trandolapril) which examined 6400 diabetic patients already suffering from cardiovascular disease, has even shown that excessive lowering of systolic blood pressure below 115 mm may increase mortality.
A study published in Atlanta revealed to the surprise of cardiologists that the antidiabetic Starlix of Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis had failed to control disease progression for those most affected.
The same clinical trial called "Navigator" has also shown that anti-hypertension Diovan, also sold by Novartis and tested alone or in combination with Starlix or placebo, did not downplay the impact of these cardiovascular diabetes. "Navigator" was conducted with 9306 participants in 40 countries with a five-year assessment.
"Interestingly, on Starlix, the effects were even contrary to what was expected," said Dr. Robert Califf of the Faculty of Medicine at Duke University in Durham (North Carolina).
But this latest study has shown that a more healthy lifestyle "is the best way to prevent diabetes in people at high risk," concluded Dr. Rury Homan, Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford United Kingdom.
All participants of Navigator were compelled to regular exercise, a diet low in fat and weight loss maintained by 5%, which according to the researchers, explains why Starlix and Diovan have not made a difference and proves once again the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
- Ennaharonline/ M. O.
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