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Blood pressure drugs help diabetics

A combination of two blood pressure reducing drugs reduces the risk of death, heart and kidney disease in diabetic patients, according to a new study.

Professor MacMahon said "These results represent an important step forward in health care for the millions of people with diabetes worldwide. This treatment reduced the likelihood of dying from the complications of diabetes by almost one-fifth, with virtually no side-effects."

The study

The study was the largest diabetic treatment study with a total of 11,140 patients from 20 countries over a 4 year period. The results were presented at The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Vienna and is part of a international study called ADVANCE.

Half of the diabetic patients took 1 tablet daily of a combination of 2 blood pressure lowering drugs. The 2 drugs were perindopril (ACE Inhibitor) and indapamide (Diuretic). The other half took a placebo.

The outcome

Those who took the blood pressure reduction tablet had a 18% decreased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 21% decreased risk of kidney disease.

Dr. Patel, the study leader said, "In absolute terms, one death would be avoided for every 79 patients treated with the fixed combination of perindopril and indapamide for 5 years."

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