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March 27, 2007
Cardiac Drug may Provide Treatment for Diabetes
Reuters is reporting breaking news about a drug that dramatically reduces the risk of developing diabetes from the American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New Orleans
Although AtheroGenics Inc.'s experimental heart drug actually missed its primary goal during a the 6,144-patient trial, it did dramatically reduce the risk patients would develop diabetes. In addition, the drug improved glycemic control among those with diabetes:
Patients in ARISE taking AGI-1067 were 64 percent less likely to develop new onset diabetes (p < 0.0001). In patients with diabetes, AGI-1067 improved glycemic control as measured by reductions in HbA1c of 0.5 percent at 12 months (p < 0.0001). These patients had a mean baseline HbA1c of 7.2 percent.The reduced risk of developing diabetes is significant but as I look at these results, the HbA1c levels seem somewhat low - my understanding is that the "average" diabetic has levels between 9 and 10 percent. In fact, at 7.2%, the patient population had a close to ideal glycemic control. I'm wondering if the secondary outcome is somewhat biased by an exclusion criteria which led to a population of diabetic subjects with lower than average levels.
To put the result in perspective, studies have shown that there is a 10% decrease in relative risk for every 1 % eduction in A1c. So, the 0.5% drop in HbA1c could be used to suggest a potential 5% drop in the risk of developing complications. This seems quite modest.
The medication itself is an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory drug, the first of its kind. Obviously, having missed the primary goal, further research will be necessary to confirm application in other areas.
"In diabetes there was a profound effect, and that needs to be followed," said Dr. Marc Pfeffer, a co-principal investigator of the study. "I'm pretty bullish that we need to go to the next step."
Posted by Diabetologica at March 27, 2007 6:28 PM