International diabetes study contradicts US trial
Thursday, 14 February 2008
CHICAGO, Feb 13 (Reuters): Early results from the largest study ever of aggressive measures to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetics has found no sign that intensive treatment increases the risk of death, an international team of researchers said Wednesday.
The results contrast findings last week from a large US- sponsored trial studying the effects of tightly controlling the blood sugar of high-risk patients with diabetes.
That study, dubbed Accord, showed a slight increase of death in patients with diabetes whose blood sugar had been reduced to near-normal levels.
The Accord findings contradicted conventional thinking about diabetes control-that lowering blood glucose to the normal range would protect patients from heart attacks, as well as kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness.
The surprise findings prompted the team conducting the massive study dubbed Advance to check to see if diabetics undergoing similar intensive drug therapy also had a higher risk of death. They did not.
The results contrast findings last week from a large US- sponsored trial studying the effects of tightly controlling the blood sugar of high-risk patients with diabetes.
That study, dubbed Accord, showed a slight increase of death in patients with diabetes whose blood sugar had been reduced to near-normal levels.
The Accord findings contradicted conventional thinking about diabetes control-that lowering blood glucose to the normal range would protect patients from heart attacks, as well as kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness.
The surprise findings prompted the team conducting the massive study dubbed Advance to check to see if diabetics undergoing similar intensive drug therapy also had a higher risk of death. They did not.