Home
You can view the current or previous issues of Diabetes Health online, in their entirety, anytime you want.
Click Here To View
See if you qualify for our free healthcare professional magazines. Click here to start your application for Pre-Diabetes Health, Diabetes Health Pharmacist and Diabetes Health Professional.
Latest Diabetes Articles
Popular Diabetes Articles
Highly Recommended Diabetes Articles
Email to a Friend
Send a link to this page to your friends and colleagues.
New Strides in Prevention
Two Types of Blood Pressure Medicine Shown to Lower Risk of Kidney Disease
Cozaar.
Taking Cozaar (losartan potassium) may prevent the progression of kidney disease, say researchers at Harvard. The drug, FDA-approved to treat high blood pressure and hypertension, was shown to lower the risk of kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in people with type 2 diabetes. Results of the study were published in the September 20 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
"Delaying the progression of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes has not been demonstrated before," said Barry M. Brener, MD, lead investigator and director emeritus of the renal division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. "In this study, for the first time, we reduced the risk of developing ESRD in these patients."
In the randomized placebo-controlled study, 751 patients were observed. They all had type 2 diabetes, proteinuria (high levels of protein in the urine) and serum creatinine clearance (a blood test for kidney damage)—both symptoms of kidney disease—and the majority had high blood pressure and were already taking high blood pressure medicine. They either took 50 to 100 mg of Cozaar daily or a placebo, in addition to taking their conventional antihypertensive drugs. Patients were followed until the amount of protein in their urine doubled, or until they developed ESRD or died. They were observed for approximately 3.4 years
Cozaar was "generally well-tolerated," according to a press release by Merck & Co., maker of Cozaar. The risk of developing kidney disease decreased by 16 percent in the group taking Cozaar compared to the group taking a placebo. In addition, the risk of developing ESRD requiring dialysis or a transplant decreased by 28 percent in the Cozaar group; creatinine concentration was reduced by 25 percent. Rate of death was not affected.
Also, researchers found that the rate of hospitalization for heart failure was 32 percent lower and protein in the urine decreased 35 percent in the Cozaar group.
"No other blood pressure medicines, including ACE inhibitors, have demonstrated renal protection from progression to end-stage kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Brenner.
In another study published in the September 20 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from around the world found that irbesartan (Avapro), another drug to treat high blood pressure, prevented kidney disease and death.
In 210 research centers in 20 countries, 1,715 men and women between 30 and 70 years of age with hypertension and late-stage kidney disease were studied. They were given either Avapro or amlodipine (Norvasc). The control group was given one of several other types of hypertension drugs. Progression of kidney disease was identified as doubling the amount of creatinine clearance—a marker of kidney disease—or developing end-stage renal disease.
Taking Avapro reduced the risk of ESRD or death by 20 percent compared to the placebo and 24 percent compared to the Norvasc group. Both the creatinine clearance and the urine protein levels of the patients rose more slowly in the Avapro group.
"Irbesartan is not only an excellent blood pressure drug for patients with diabetes and hypertension, but more importantly it protects their kidneys from damage." said Edmund J. Lewis, MD, director of nephropathy at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, the study's lead researcher, in a press release by the RUSH Institute. "For physicians, we now have a drug that slows the progression of kidney disease, and delays or prevents the need for dialysis or transplantation."
Categories: Diabetes, Diabetes, Kidney Care (Nephropathy), Medications, Type 2 Issues
You May Also Be Interested In...
-
Diabetes Health
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetes- both newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.
-
Topics
- Diabetic / Diabetes Health
- Type 1 / 1.5 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Blood Glucose / Sugar
- High/Low Blood Sugar / Fast Acting Glucose
- Insulin- Pumps, Pens & Syringes
- Continuous Glucose Monitors, CGM, Infusion Sets
- Type 2 Medications
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
Comments
Add your comments about this article below. You can add comments as a registered user or anonymously. If you choose to post anonymously your comments will be sent to our moderator for approval before they appear on this page. If you choose to post as a registered user your comments will appear instantly.
When voicing your views via the comment feature, please respect the Diabetes Health community by refraining from comments that could be considered offensive to other people. Diabetes Health reserves the right to remove comments when necessary to maintain the cordial voice of the diabetes community.
For your privacy and protection, we ask that you do not include personal details such as address or telephone number in any comments posted.
Don't have your Diabetes Health Username? Register now and add your comments to all our content.
Register...
Register your Diabetes Health Username here.
Have Your Say...