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Research Highlights
VA Diabetes Study Yielding Good News on Blood Pressure Care
For Release June 20, 2003
PHILADELPHIA — A major Veterans Affairs (VA) study on type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascular complications is finding that VA diabetes patients are achieving surprisingly good control of their blood pressure. Early data from the trial are being presented today at ENDO 2003, the 85th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, by Robert J. Anderson, MD, a member of the study team and chief of endocrinology at the Omaha VA Medical Center.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, often accompanies diabetes and is a key risk factor for heart attack, stroke, eye disease and other diabetes complications. People with diabetes are five times more likely to suffer strokes, and more than 65 percent of deaths in diabetes patients are due to heart and vascular disease. The seven-year VA Diabetes Trial, involving up to 1,700 patients at 20 VA medical centers, is testing whether cardiovascular complications can be prevented—and diabetes safely managed—by boosting glucose-lowering treatment for patients who respond poorly to standard therapy.
The 1,544 patients in the study to date entered the trial with an average blood pressure of 131/ 77. Under new blood-pressure guidelines released in May by the National Institutes of Health, this is considered "prehypertensive," but not high. It is well
below average for most diabetic populations, according to study co-chairman William Duckworth, MD. He said the data show that routine VA diabetes care is "exceptionally good."
"This is the best blood pressure control in this type of population that I've seen," said Duckworth, an endocrinologist at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. Chairing the study with Duckworth is endocrinologist Carlos Abraira, MD, of the Miami VA Medical Center.
The 1,023 study participants who have been followed for six months, receiving either standard or intensive therapy to control blood sugar, and treatment as needed to manage blood pressure and lipids, further lowered their blood pressure, to an average of 127/74. The average reading for 671 patients after one year of follow-up was 127/73.
"Blood pressure care is exceptionally good in VA patients with diabetes," said Duckworth, "and it can be improved further with additional attention."
The VA Diabetes Trial is supported by VA, the American Diabetes Association, the National Eye Institute, and the following companies: GlaxoSmithKline, Novo Nordisk, Aventis, Roche Diagnostics and KOS Pharmaceuticals.
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