The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7254 p852
21 June 2003

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Diabetes UK: research reveals benefits of statins (more)
CARDS: Collaborative AtoRvastatin Diabetes Study (more)

Good news for statins in diabetes

A study of statin use in type 2 diabetes has been stopped early because interim results have found a "substantial and highly significant benefit of treatment". This follows research, reported last week (PJ, 14 June, p814, suggesting all people with diabetes and at risk of heart disease should be offered statins.

The collaborative atorvastatin diabetes study is a double blind placebo controlled study of atorvastatin 10mg in patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients had no previous history of heart disease or stroke but did have some cardiovascular risk factors other than diabetes. The primary endpoint of the trial was the reduction of fatal and non fatal-coronary events, strokes and coronary revascularisation procedures.

Sponsored by Diabetes UK, the Department of Health and Pfizer UK, it involved around 2,800 patients in 132 centres in the United Kingdom and was not scheduled to end until 2005.

Moira Murphy, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "Diabetes UK co-sponsored this work in recognition of its potentially critical importance for people with diabetes. We look forward to seeing the analysed data later this year and hope they will add to the existing evidence of the benefit statins can have for people with diabetes. People with the condition are up to five times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease."

All patients in the trial are being notified and will have appropriate follow up arranged. Dr Michael Zaiac, deputy medical director, Pfizer UK, told The Journal he understood all patients would continue study medication until follow up when they would be switched onto active treatment where necessary.

Detailed analysis will be released when all outstanding data collection is complete, says the CARDS co-ordinating centre. This is expected to take several months.