A pill for diabetics

A cholesterol-lowering medicine promises to benefit patients with Type 2 diabetes.

A cholesterol-lowering medicine specifically designed by UK primary prevention statin trial at the American Diabetes Association (ADA)2 promises to benefit patients with Type 2 diabetes and a CV risk factor.

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The unique collaboration between Diabetes UK, the Department of Health, Pfizer UK and co-ordintated by University College London, showed that 10mg atorvastatin (Lipitor) reduced cardiovascular (CV) events by 37 percent in patients with diabetes without existing CVD2.

CARDS stands for the Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study and was conducted in 132 centres across UK and Ireland1. A total of 2,838 patients with moderately elevated LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were involved1.

The study was designed to assess the effectiveness of lipid-lowering treatment (with atorvastatin 10 mg) for the primary prevention of CVD in Type 2 diabetes patients with additional risk factors for CVD1.

Patients on atorvastatin experienced large and significant reductions in CV events (defined as acute coronary events, stroke and CABG/other revascularisation procedures)2.

According to John Betteridge, the principal investigator, "patients on atorvastatin experienced major CVD benefits - so much so that the trial was stopped early because it would be unfair to those receiving placebo to continue."

"Currently, only patients with diabetes with elevated cholesterol or established heart disease routinely receive statins - but this study shows that even those without CVD or high cholesterol could benefit from cholesterol-lowering," he added.