Weight gain resulted in increased systolic blood pressure and increased levels of triglycerides and total and LDL-cholesterol. The changes in blood pressure and lipid profile associated with intensive diabetes treatment may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in these patients. Sulfonylurea drugs increase early mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus after direct angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction. Garratt KN, et al. This study shows that diabetic patients taking sulfonylurea drugs undergoing coronary angioplasty after myocardial infarction have a 2.7-fold increased risk of dying, compared to diabetic patients not taking these drugs.
Sulfonylureas seem to render the myocardium more susceptible to injury.
Adverse events and their association with treatment regimens in the diabetes control and complications trial. This study was conducted on 1,441 individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus randomized to receive either intensive or conventional insulin treatment and followed up for a mean of 6.5 years. Intensive treatment did not decrease the incidence of death, major morbidity or ketoacidosis. The authors note that these results may not reflect the real rate of adverse events due to intensive treatment, since the sample population of this trial consisted of carefully chosen healthy individuals who received frequent clinical evaluation. Weight gain associated with intensive therapy in the diabetes control and complications trial.