Diabetes Heart-Risk Study Raises Concerns

The Concerns

ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) made headlines in February 2008 when part of this large study on type 2 diabetes and heart disease under way in the United States and Canada was halted due to safety concerns. The study's federal sponsor announced doctors were shifting patients from intensive blood glucose control (A1C goal of less than 6.0 percent) to standard treatment (A1C goal of 7.0 -- 7.9 percent) after finding those targeting tighter control had a higher death rate than those in the standard group.

In the February release, study officials said the higher death rate did not appear to be due to episodes of low blood glucose or tied to any single drug, including rosiglitazone (Avandia), or to any combination of drugs.

More detailed ACCORD results are expected soon. For updates, visit accordtrial.org or nhlbi.nih.gov.