Re: Lower Glucose Level Increases Death Rate!

W. Baker wrote:
Nicky <ukc802466929@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
: On Thu, 7 Feb 2008 15:40:54 +0000 (UTC), "W. Baker" <wbaker@xxxxxxxxx>
: wrote:

: >Of course, reducing the cars : >should reduce the need for as much medication. This might put the : >kaibosh(sps/) on the ADA view that you should eat a "balanced" diet and : >increase the meds if the numbers are to high, rather than lowering the : >carbs.

: For me, this is the crux of the problem with the ADA's advice.

: >Since the problem(as someone mentioned in the other thread) was thtat the : >intense therapy group had fewer heart attacks, but were more likely to die : >form the ones they did get, there may be something going on here that we : >do not understand.

: But I completely agree with you that this is an interesting outcome of
: the study. Even if we take the results at face value, that a low A1c
: will cause you to have fewer heart attacks but more of them will be
: fatal, that sounds like a damn good idea. I'd rather go out with a
: bang...

: Nicky.
: T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid
: D&E, 100ug thyroxine
: Last A1c 5.6% BMI 25

I heard a spokeman from the ADA on the PBS Newshour tonight (usually a good news discussion program without histrionics) who gave an additional fact not in the newspaper reports. For eveybody in the study, there was a large reduction(something like 50% but don't quote me) in heart attacks and most of the people in the study had had heart problems before and the rest had the usual high bg's high bp and high chloresterol. In other words, the aggressive bg lowering group had about 3 per 1000 more deaths, but from a much lower numer than the level believed to be the rate of regular T2 diabetics. I don't know if they have a breakdown of those who died as to whether they were those who had already had heart problems or had had heart attacks priorto the study and working for agressive control.

Interestingly, the advice he was giving was for older diabetics or peole with other complicating conditions, etc. stay around 7 but for youger and those with fewer complications stay below 7, the usual advice.

Wendy

This is a different study published last week: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/358/6/580

In the ACCORD study, the patients were different (long standing diabetes and high risk for cardiovascular disease) and only one thing control (blood glucose). http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/other/accord/index.htm

The differences in methodology probably explain the differences in the outcomes.

Jeff
.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: Interesting study......
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  • Re: Lower Glucose Level Increases Death Rate!
    ... Nicky wrote: ... :>intense therapy group had fewer heart attacks, but were more likely to die ... and most of the people in the study had had heart problems before and the ... the advice he was giving was for older diabetics or peole ...
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  • Re: Article: 36% of heart attacks are in diabetics!
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