CAMBRIDGE, England, May 27, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A meta-analysis found
people who have diabetes but maintain low blood-sugar levels are at less risk
for heart attacks, researchers in Britain say.
Dr. Kausik Ray of the University of Cambridge and colleagues said the
meta-analysis pooled information from five large trials.
The study, published in The Lancet, determined there was a 17 percent reduction
in heart attacks and a 15 percent reduction in coronary heart disease. The study
also found a more modest trend toward reduction of strokes with intensive
control of glucose levels compared with standard care.
The researchers, in contrast to smaller studies that suggested possible harm
from better blood sugar control, found no adverse impact on the risk of death
from any cause.
The five trials involved more than 33,000 individuals, including 1,497 heart
attack cases, 2,318 cases of coronary heart disease and 1,227 strokes.
In order to assess the possible risk of various heart conditions, Ray and
colleagues analyzed the data collected on the glucose levels in blood,
specifically a long-term marker of glucose control called HbA1c -- a test that
measures the amount of glycated hemoglobin in the blood.
In healthy individuals, HbA1c levels average between 4 percent to 5 percent,
however, diabetics often have levels above 6.5 percent.
In the study, those taking a standard treatment maintained a HbA1c level of 7.5
percent. Individuals who underwent intensive treatment to lower their
blood-sugar level were 0.9 percent lower than those who underwent standard
treatment -- average 6.6 percent -- thereby dramatically reducing their risk of
disease in large blood vessels.
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