A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has dashed hopes that intensive work to drive down cholesterol levels in diabetic patients could reduce heart problems.
The study was part of the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) trial, which was designed to see whether drug therapy to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure could make a difference to the higher risk diabetics have of developing heart problems .
Diabetics are thought to be twice as likely as those without the condition to suffer from heart attacks. Generally they are put on medication to reduce the risk, with doctors aiming to lower blood pressure and levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
However the researchers have released very surprising data which has showed that such treatments do not in fact cut the risk of heart disease in diabetic patients. Results from the trial, launched ten years ago, showed that lowering the high blood pressure to very low levels did not decrease the number of patients experiencing heart attacks, strokes, or death from cardiovascular causes.
Patients who were taking statins were given an additional drug known as a fibrate which lowers triglycerides while boosting levels of the ‘good’ cholesterol HDL. Unfortunately, again this did not affect levels of heart attacks, strokes and heart-related death.
The results seemed to show that patients in all groups faced a 2% increased risk of having a cardiovascular event regardless of whether they were receiving intensive treatment to lower blood pressure, a fibrate as well as a statin or a statin alone.
Nonetheless doctors have stressed that though the findings are surprising, patients with diabetes still need to keep their cholesterol and blood pressure levels under control through exercise and diet and should not stop taking any medication without consulting their doctor first.