New Drug Could Treat Both Diabetes And Heart Disease

An experimental drug could be promising for simultaneously treating two of society's biggest ills -- diabetes and heart disease -- by raising "good" HDL cholesterol levels and lowering blood sugar levels.

A new analysis of drug-testing data, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that a kind of drug called cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors could provide both diabetes and heart disease treatment benefits.

Researchers found in their analysis that torcetrapib, a kind of CETP inhibitor, raised good cholesterol levels and lowered blood sugar levels, but also raised the risk of other heart problems and death. Now, more research is needed to see if two other CETP drugs, called dalcetrapib and anacetrapib, are able to produce the same benefits as torcetrapib without the negative effects.

The last big diabetes drug to make the news was Avandia. Federal health officials required manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to put a warning label on the drug because of its increased risk of heart attack; that drug is only recommended for use if no other available drugs are effective at controlling blood sugar levels.

Diabetes affects 8.3 percent of all people in the United States, and 26.9 percent of people ages 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is closely linked with heart disease and stroke, and is the seventh biggest cause of death in the U.S.

Heart disease, on the other hand, is the No. 1 leading cause of death in men and women, with one in four deaths in the U.S. caused by heart disease (based on 2006 data), the CDC said.

While family history and age are major risk factors for both diseases, the risk of diabetes and heart disease can be lowered by regularly exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, according to the American Diabetes Association.

For the new study researchers from the Heart Research Institute at the University of Sydney in Australia analyzed the data from 6,661 people with Type 2 diabetes who participated in the ILLUMINATE trial.

They found that torcetrapib taken with cholesterol-lowering statins raised good cholesterol levels by 67 percent, The Telegraph reported. However, patients who only took statins didn't see any increase in good cholesterol levels.

In addition, patients who took both statins and torcetrapib had blood sugar levels that were 7 percent lower than those who just took the statins, according to The Telegraph.

"The possibility that CETP inhibitor drugs may not only reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, but may also improve the control of blood sugar in people with diabetes, is an exciting prospect that may translate into real health benefits for people with diabetes," study researcher Dr. Philip Barter, professor of medicine at the Heart Research Institute, said in a statement.

RELATED:

Comments

[rmish07]

02:26 AM on 07/20/2011

I've had type one diabetes for 25 years.Diet,exercise and insulin have kept me healthy so far and I've never kidded myself about a cure.To much money to be made for drug companys to ever do that.Over the years doctors have tied to put me on medications that I did'nt need (preventative) why? I don't have high blood pressure why would I take a medication for it? If I took all the drugs I've been offered over the years I would be taking four a day plus my insulin.Why? Labs are great health is good....why?

[sheckyrulz67]

04:42 AM on 07/20/2011

I believe doctors are getting kickbacks from the drug companies they deal with. I am told having diabetes (as I do,16 yrs) increases your chances of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I take 2 pills for blood pressure, 1 pill for cholesterol, fish oil to increase my good cholesterol, and a multi vitamin. By the time Im done taking all that I am full so I dont need breakfast! So I can keep my blood sugar lower! LOL.

[Skydave]

01:59 AM on 07/20/2011

I read about a study the FDA was doing with Niaspan and a Statin drug, they were trying to find out if this combo would reduce strokes and heart attacts, the study was promptly stopped before a year was up becase the folks in the test were having more strokes and heart attacks. Now I see why they offer big bucks to be a test study subject. (Guinea Pig)

[swoboda]

11:47 PM on 07/19/2011

Small problem that the first drug improved numbers but made you more likely to have serious health problems and die. Oh well at least you had better labs before they buried you. The failure of these drugs to date has already been reported. Let us know if the other drugs are also killers or end up with some benefits when further studies come out.

[BIGG321]

10:45 PM on 07/19/2011

YOU WILL NEVER SEE A DRUG LIKE THIS ON THE MARKET THE DRUG COMPANYS WOULD LOOSE TOO MUCH MONEY JUST LIKE CANCER OR AIDS YOU WILL NEVER SEE A CURE BIG DRUG COMPANYS ARE TO GREEDY AND ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE DRUGS THEY SELL MAKE THEM TONS MORE MONEY TO HELP CURE THE SIDE EFFECTS THE DRUGS ARE GIVEING OUT HAVE MORE SIDE EFFECTS THAN THE AILMENT THERE SUPPOSED TO BE CUREING

[Dennis Engish]

10:27 PM on 07/19/2011

And Imagine 15 Million Unhealthy ILLEGALS already in our Country..Just wait ..for that bill to come thru taking care of them when probably 50-75% of them Get T2 diabetes.
And you wonder why they need more $ for Medicare? They're just preparing to pay for the Illegals.
Get out your Check book...Isn't that nice?

[Dennis Engish]

10:20 PM on 07/19/2011

Avandia- that drug is only recommended for use if no other available drugs are effective at controlling blood sugar levels.

I don't know who they are kidding, but All they have to do is Just Take INSULIN.. They have 24 hr Insulins Now, take One Shot and Your good to go, add a decent low carb Diet and doing 5-10 min of walking or On a Exercise bike after Meals and your good to go..

If they don't want to do that? Then Suffer the Consequneces and Get your Affairs In order..and don't go spending anymore $ on them..

[swoboda]

11:57 PM on 07/19/2011

The studies in real life don't actual show health benefits with controlling blood sugars in type 2 diabetes with insulin over oral medications like metformin and some others. Sure the obese diabetic that won't exercise or follow a proper diet gets better blood sugar control. Just they don't live longer or have less overall health problems than those on a combination of oral medications. Some endocrinologists play this unscientific number game. If you have one ask to see the research paper that show's health benefits (not what sugars are but morbidity and mortality) compared to other treatments. Be nice if life was so simple.

[jammer4306]

03:57 AM on 07/20/2011

In type 1 diabetes insulin is required, in type 2 insulin is there but in most cases the baody can't process it and takung insulin doesn't help. Learn before you say anything stupid.

[cae973]

09:22 PM on 07/19/2011

well okay a drug for heart disease that will only raise the risk of death...just what we need.
Kind of like the wonderful satin drugs don t cause cancer story that leaves out the fact that they harm your liver and....hold on.......its coming.....will raise the risk of death lol

[aearthling59]

09:21 PM on 07/19/2011

This week I stopped taking all types of medications, I think the side effects are worse than the problems, between anxiety and skin blotches etc. I need to find other stuff.

[Sally Olin]

04:13 PM on 07/19/2011

It would be a great news for those who are suffering with both diabetes and heart disease however will it be affordable for the public? Knowing that these illness are common for elder people.

[copperkettle3]

03:45 PM on 07/19/2011

This is the continual problem with American medical care. It doesn't focus on curing disease, the focus is on modifying disease with medications that the pharmaceutical companies want to sell you, to use for the rest of your life. Most diabetes and heart disease can be controlled and reversed with a modification of diet but this is not what improves the economy for drug companies, to the vast food industry that promotes processed foods, fast foods, dairy, and meats all which are the cause, rather than the prevention of the lifestyle diseases which inflict our society.

[getoffmedz]

04:13 PM on 07/19/2011

"lifestyle diseases which inflict our society." Excellent description.

Prevention and cure is the key to controlling and stopping the family of ailments you so aptly describe.

Everything else under the label "treatment" is purely a money maker. Prevention and cure is not. to 40

[Dennis Engish]

10:24 PM on 07/19/2011

There's No Money in curing this Diabetes Disease..
Imagine 20 million T2's- taking Pills , costing just $4/mo, FOREVER!
Now imagine that same 20 million testing their BG's just 3x per day x $1.50 = $4.50 a day or $135 a month
And this Employs Thouands from the Drug Companies to the Hospitals and Nurses..
The only way ? a National Health Insurance Plan.. That will force more Cures, just like most cures hav come from Countries with a NHIP.