Aggressive Diabetes Treatment and Death Risk

Filed in archive Research , Treatment on February 8, 2008

According surprising, unexplained findings by a study led by Dr. William T. Friedewald of Columbia University, aggressive treatment in lowering blood sugar levels (as normally done and proved successful in type 1 diabetes patients) could not be the best treatment option in those with type 2.




Most especially in those with type 2 diabetes that also have heart disease or multiple risk factors for heart disease - putting them in an in an increased risk of dying.

Researchers had to curtail a major clinical trial of intensive treatment for such patients after concluding that patients with the lowest blood sugar levels had an increased risk of dying compared with those with a more modest reduction of sugar levels.

The findings were a surprise to researchers, who expected to see a clear benefit from the lower sugar levels, and their source remains a mystery. Analysis has been unable to link the increased death rate to episodes of hypoglycemia - low blood sugar - or to any drug or combination of drugs used in the study.

In particular, researchers did not find any link to the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, trade-named Avandia, which has previously been linked to deaths from heart disease among those taking it.

Intensive blood sugar-lowering treatments included in this study pertains to conventional blood sugar-lowering drugs (with lifestyle modifications) on high doses and multiple combinations.

Find more details from the L.A. Times.