Rosiglitazone Aids Diabetics With Coronary Artery Disease

This study is the first to show that rosiglitazone has beneficial effects on the heart in type 2 diabetic patients with confirmed ischemic coronary artery disease .

European researchers report that treatment with rosiglitazone may improve myocardial glucose uptake in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Lautamaki lead researcher stated that, "Since glucose is a key source of energy in myocardium during ischemic attacks," she noted, "the increment in glucose uptake found in the ischemic regions of the heart shows that 16-week rosiglitazone therapy is superior to placebo in improving the myocardial glucose metabolism."

Dr. Lautamaki of University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland and colleagues studied 54 patients with type 2 diabetes who were randomized in a double-blind fashion to 4 mg to 8 mg of rosiglitazone per day or placebo.

At 16 weeks, those in the active treatment group had a significant increase in glycemic control and whole-body insulin sensitivity (p < 0.0001 for both).

Rosiglitazone also increased myocardial glucose uptake in ischemic and non-ischemic tissue by 24% and 29%, respectively, which the placebo group showed no apparent change.

The results suggest that "rosiglitazone therapy may facilitate myocardial glucose storage and utilization in these patients," the researchers write.

Added Dr. Lautamak: "This enhancement may be essential for these high-risk patients during ischemia."
Diabetes 2005;54:2787-2794.

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DID YOU KNOW:
One in five European patients with established coronary heart disease keeps smoking despite physicians’ efforts to get them to quit, according to an international multicenter survey. Patients with angina, minimal education, and who were younger were more likely to continue smoking compared with patients who had had a heart attack, were older, and had more education, investigators reported in the October issue of the European Heart Journal.