Glucotrol XL

(Best Syndication) Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say that sulfonylureas drugs used to treat patients with diabetes do not reduce the risk of surviving a heart attack. The pills are used to increase the release of insulin, thus lowering blood sugar. Since diabetes mellitus is a growing problem, it is important to determine which drugs work and which do not.

Diabetes mellitus is commonly refereed to as diabetes, but includes a syndrome of conditions including a disordered metabolism and high blood sugar. The cause could be from either low levels of insulin or a resistance to the effects of insulin, or a combination of both. Symptoms include excessive urination and a excessive thirst. Some patients may experience blurred vision, but not all sufferers experience symptoms.

Since patients with diabetes are at an increased risk for heart failure, it is important to compare treatments. Over the past few years some physicians expressed concerns that SU2s may impair the heart’s ability to withstand stress.

Patients taking the drug were thought to have a reduced ability to survive heart attack, according to leader of the study, Veronique Roger, M.D., M.P.H., the Mayo cardiologist and epidemiologist.

The Mayo Clinic researchers compared two groups of patients; those with diabetes and those without. They sorted the results according to age, gender and lifestyle habits such as smoking.

The diabetes group used three different drug treatments: SU2 drugs, insulin, and diet. Roger says “These data do not support the concern among some physicians of an adverse impact of SU2 on survival after a heart attack.”

The SU2 drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL), and glyburide (DiaBeta, Micronase, Glynase). The evidence was presented at the the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007 in Orlando, Florida.

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By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication News Writer