Drug May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

A preliminary study has shown that the drug rosiglitazone may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The results of the study, conducted by scientists at Newcastle University (UK), were presented at the annual conference of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, in Glasgow, Scotland.

On average, a type-2 diabetic remains undiagnosed for seven years, by which time the damage to tissues is already underway. The number of people affected grows larger every year, due in part to a concurrent rise in obesity, which is linked to the disease, and an aging population. The new drug is taken in tablet form, making it easy for patients to comply with their prescription. The researchers say that patients taking the drug are also less likely to develop the high blood pressure usually associated with type 2 diabetes, which can lead to heart disease.

"This drug presents a therapeutic alternative for those patients that cannot make the necessary lifestyle changes,” said Dr. Mark Walker, a consulting physician at Newcastle University. The results of the IGT study have provided the proof-of-concept for a much larger prospective study that will seek to establish the effectiveness of the drug in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.




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