Aggressively Treating Cardiac Risk Factors May Reverse Ischemia

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Diabetes;  Stroke
Article Date: 26 Oct 2007 - 6:00 PST

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People with diabetes who have asymptomatic heart disease may be able to vastly improve the flow of blood to their hearts without surgical intervention, according to a study being published in the November issue of Diabetes Care, which comes out on October 26, 2007.

Researchers found that patients with obstructed blood flow (known as ischemia) who aggressively treated their cardiac risk factors with medication were able to reverse the course of heart disease over a three-year period.

Patients were given stress tests to measure how well blood was flowing to the heart at the beginning of the study and again at the end. Though none of the patients exhibited symptoms of heart disease, 20 percent fared poorly on their stress tests, showing signs of obstructed blood flow. However, three years later, 79 percent of those whose initial stress tests were abnormal no longer showed any sign of obstruction.

The reversal came as a surprise to researchers, who had anticipated a worsening of ischemia, since type 2 diabetes is "an important aggravating risk factor" for the progression of cardiovascular disease. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease than those who don't have diabetes. While the study was not designed to measure the impact of heart medications on ischemia, researchers did note that those whose stress tests returned to normal had increased their use of aspirin, statins and ACE inhibitors, all prescribed to help control cardiovascular risk factors.

Typically, doctors treat obstructed blood flow to the heart with surgical interventions, such as angioplasty or bypass surgery. This study suggests that alternative treatments, such as medication, may also be effective. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into the nation's fifth leading cause of death by disease. Diabetes also is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, as well as the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney failure, and non-traumatic amputations.

About the ADA

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. The Association's commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

http://www.diabetes.org

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