Glucose control reduces risk of kidney disease in diabetics

Washington, June 11 : By intensively controlling blood glucose levels, patients with diabetes can effectively reduce their risk of developing serious kidney disease and other complications, suggest researchers.

The team of researchers including an Indian researcher from Sydney based George Institute for International Health has shown that the intensive treatment decreased kidney disease risk by one-fifth.

The ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease) study involving more than 11,000 people with type 2 diabetes revealed that intensive blood glucose (sugar) control using modified release gliclazide and other drugs as required, protects patients against serious complications of the disease.

Intensive treatment safely controlled blood glucose to a mean HbA1c level of 6.5pct

"We are facing a global epidemic of diabetes," said Professor Stephen MacMahon, lead researcher and Principal Director of The George Institute, Australia.

"The ADVANCE results go beyond existing evidence as we have now shown that reducing the haemogloboin A1c level (a marker of blood glucose control) to 6.5% is a safe and effective way to reduce serious complications, particularly the risk of kidney disease, one of the most serious and disabling consequences of diabetes, leading to death in one in five people with diabetes," he added.

"Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) was uncommon in the ADVANCE study, although as expected it was more frequent among those receiving intensive treatment," said Study Director, Associate Professor Anushka Patel from The George Institute.

"These findings reinforce that blood glucose lowering in diabetes is safe and has an important role to play in the prevention of serious complications," she added.

The findings also revealed that intensive treatment reduced the overall risk of serious diabetes complications by 10pct and a 30pct reduction was observed in the development of proteinuria, a well established marker of increased cardiovascular risk.

ANI