The cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate slows the progression of coronary artery disease in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to an international study.
Heart disease is one of the major complications of diabetes.
Based on the findings, the study's authors conclude that even small abnormalities in blood cholesterol should be treated in diabetic patients. The most common complication of diabetes is atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty plaques in arteries that can lead to a heart attack. Keeping blood sugar, or glucose, under control can reduce the risk of many diabetes complications, but good glucose control does little to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, according to a team led by Dr. George Steiner, of the University of Toronto in Canada. All participants had at least one artery-clogging lesion in a heart artery. Fenofibrate, sold as Tricor in the US by Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, is approved in the US for lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, another form of blood fat.