WEDNESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Cycloset (bromocriptine), a drug that takes the novel approach of managing blood sugar via the brain, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, maker VeroScience Inc. said Wednesday.

The drug, previously prescribed in higher amounts to treat Parkinson's disease, targets a brain chemical that ultimately is involved in regulating metabolism, reports the Associated Press.

A single dose taken in the morning helped control the rise in blood sugar that typically follows daily meals. After six months of use, 35 percent of people who took Cycloset had recommended blood sugar levels, compared with 10 percent of diabetics who took a non-medicinal placebo, the drug's maker said.

Cycloset is the first drug approved under new FDA rules that require the makers of diabetes drugs to better establish that the medicines are safe for people with existing or potential heart problems. A year-long study involving some 3,000 diabetics found that those who took Cycloset had 42 percent fewer cardiac problems, including heart attack, than those who took a placebo, the AP reported.

Potential side effects of Cycloset include nausea and dizziness. Women who are nursing shouldn't use it, and people on medicines that lower blood pressure should take it with caution, the wire service said.

• More News on Diabetes Medicines

Related MedlinePlus Pages:

• Diabetes Medicines