| For all those diabetics out there, do the | | | | obesity and sometimes kidney failure, |
| names Avandia or Altace ring a bell? A | | | | amputations and death. Type 2 diabetes |
| recent study has shown that both drugs may | | | | happens when the body naturally does not |
| well help by giving additional prevention for | | | | produce enough insulin or cannot effectively |
| those that are "pre-diabetics",- which | | | | use what the body does produce. |
| accounts for almost 40 million of our | | | | |
| population. As many as half of the people | | | | So here are the ups and downs of the study. |
| who are "pre-diabetics" will develop diabetes | | | | Both Altace and Avandia were used on the |
| within a three year time span. | | | | volunteers and some of them did not use any |
| | | | form of medication. The study showed that |
| This has been the largest study on diabetes | | | | less people died on Avandia than those who |
| prevention ever, the study was funded by the | | | | did not take it. But of those volunteers on |
| Canadian Institutes of Health Research as | | | | Avandia given, fourteen of them developed |
| well as other companies that make | | | | heart failure and only two developed heart |
| pharmaceuticals, like GlaxoSmithKline PLC | | | | failure from those not taking medication. |
| which makes Avandia and Sanofi-Aventis SA and | | | | |
| King Pharmaceuticals which makes Altace. | | | | Experts are somewhat skeptical about the |
| Avandia, also know as Rosiglitazon, was shown | | | | study results because the volunteers were |
| to cut the risk of Type 2 diabetes | | | | also regularly counseled about healthy diets |
| development by more than half. Avandia also | | | | and lifestyles. Meaning the results could |
| controlled blood-sugar to keep it at a normal | | | | well be very different had the volunteers not |
| level. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most | | | | been participating in any form of medical |
| common form of diabetes in the U.S today, for | | | | assistance. However many doctors say that |
| 18 million sufferers, this information could | | | | working out and maintaining a healthy diet is |
| well be a major development. | | | | still the best possible way to prevent |
| | | | diabetes in the long term. "We know that |
| Another part of the study looked at Altace, | | | | lifestyle changes alone can reduce the risk |
| or Ramipril which functions as a blood | | | | of developing diabetes by up to 58 percent," |
| pressure medication but can also help control | | | | said Dr. Martin Abrahamson, Medical Director |
| blood sugar - yet it does not reduce any | | | | of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Dr. |
| risk. The aim of the study was to prevent | | | | Abrahamson is not associated with the study. |
| Type 2 diabetes which is most linked to | | | | |