Health

ACP recommends that more diabetics take statins

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 17, 2004

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Patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one other factor that makes them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease should be prescribed moderate doses of statin drugs regardless of their cholesterol levels, according to guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians last month.

The guidelines, which were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, also noted that all type 2 diabetics who had already had a cardiovascular event should be on the drugs, but that routine monitoring of liver function or muscle enzymes was unnecessary because of the medication's long safety record. Monitoring was needed only if patients: experienced symptoms that suggested possible side effects; already had liver problems; or were taking other medications that might increase the possibility of complications.

These recommendations are the second set of ACP guidelines attempting to address cardiovascular disease among those with type 2 diabetes. In April 2003, the group recommended that this patient group tightly control blood pressure.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/17/hlbf0517.htm.

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