A combination of two blood pressure-lowering drugs reduced the risk of kidney disease by about 20% in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.
The Study
Researchers analyzed data from a study that included more than 11,000 patients with diabetes. The patients were randomly selected to receive either a placebo or a combination of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor perindopril and the diuretic indapamide. Most of the patients had high blood pressure, but 20% had blood pressure less than 130/80.
The Results
After an average follow-up of four years, patients taking the blood pressure-lowering drugs were 21% less likely to have kidney disease than those in the placebo group. The researchers also found that kidney function returned to normal among some patients who had early signs of diabetes-related kidney disease before they started taking the drugs.
Even in patients who didn't have high blood pressure, the drug combination reduced the risk for kidney disease.
Implications
More research is needed, but these results suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes might be considered for antihypertensive treatment even if they have normal blood pressure, said the authors of the study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Drug Helps Block Diabetes in People with Early Symptoms
About 21 million people in the US have H impaired glucose tolerance, a prediabetic condition that is diagnosed through blood tests. According to recent research, impaired glucose tolerance is 81% less likely to turn into full-blown diabetes if patients take the prescription drug pioglitazone (Actos).
Possible side effects: Weight gain...edema (swelling)...increased fracture risk in postmenopausal women.
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