Australian researchers have discovered that reductions in heart events and deaths, thanks to the use of drugs that reduce blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes, persist for many years once the treatment is stopped.
The global study has discovered that, six years after stopping intensive treatment with the combination of Permondopril and Indapamide, patients with type 2 diabetes continued having a lower risk of severe heart disease and death.
The study, entitled Advance-on, was directed by The George Institute for Global Health and carried out in 20 countries.It followed more than 80 percent of the 11,000 patients with diabetes who had been involved in the original Advance trial that began in 2001 and ended in 2007.
In Advance, patients whose blood pressure had been treated with the combination of IECA-diuretic for almost five years presented a reduced risk of death and heart events.In the Advance-on monitoring study, these benefits were evident six years later, but reduced compared to those present during active treatment.
In the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Barcelona, the principal researcher John Chalmers, of the George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydney, said: "The findings highlight the importance of active therapy to reduce blood pressure for patients for patientsWith type 2 diabetes. The good news is that the benefits last more than the treatment.
The director of the study and associated teacher Sophia Zoungas added: "This is a completely new finding for patients with type 2 diabetes, although it had been previously described for patients with hypertension."
Professor Chalmers said that it was likely that the intensive treatment based on perchopril and indapamide produce lasting structural changes in the patient's cardiovascular system.
It is estimated that 382 million people have diabetes worldwide, and around 90 percent of them have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause heart disease, blindness, renal failure, limb amputation and stroke and is one of theten main causes of death.
Advance was founded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and Servier.
Contact: Media consultations: Ellie Martel, Media Advisor, Communications, Australia, The George Institute for Global Health, Mobile:+61-0410-411-983, E-mail: emartel@georgeinstitute.org.au.Contact: Professor John Chalmers AC, Senior Director, The George Institute for Globalhealth, E-mail: chalmers@georgeinstitue.org.au, Web: http: //www.georgeinstitute.org/people/john-chalmers-ac.Associate Professor Zoungas, Honorary Professorial Fellow, The George Institute forglobal Health, E-mail: sophia.zoungas@monh.edu, Web: http: //www.georgeinstitute.org/people/sophia-zoungas.
(EuropePress) Vienna, Sepcesso 19, 2014