Peripheral diabetic neuropathy prevented by therapy with both statins
and fibrates
Statins and fibrates protect against the development of peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes, an Australian epidemiological study conducted over eight years has shown. The findings were presented last month at the annual meeting of the American
Diabetes Association in Chicago.
A sample of 1,294 people with diabetes was recruited to the Freemantle
Diabetes Study between 1993 and 1996. A longitudinal sub-study of 531
people who had attended six comprehensive annual health assessments by
November 2001 was also completed.
At study entry, participants were about 64 years old, with diabetes diagnosed
four years previously: 30.9 per cent had neuropathy. Fibrates and statins
were used by 3.5 per cent and 6.8 per cent of participants, respectively.
During the five years of follow-up of the longitudinal study, use of
fibrates (primarily gemfibrozil and fenofibrate) increased to 10.4 per
cent and statins (mainly atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin) to
36.5 per cent.
The investigators found that, after controlling for confounding variables,
including changes to HbA1c levels, the time to development of newly diagnosed
peripheral neuropathy in the longitudinal sub-group indicated that fibrates
reduced neuropathy risk by 48 per cent and statins by 35 per cent.
Presenting the findings, Timothy M. Davis, professor of medicine, University
of Western Australia, said: “In our analysis, the beneficial effects
of the drugs were independent of each other and they may work through
different mechanisms.” He added: “It is just a hypothesis,
but taking both drugs may yield greater benefit than taking either drug
alone.”
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