Health
Drug cuts diabetes, heart risk
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 11, 2008
The anti-inflammatory drug salsalate substantially reduced glycemia as well as inflammation in obese young adults, thereby likely reducing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to a study in the February Diabetes Care.
"Our study was the first to look at the metabolic changes that occur when you give salsalate to obese people who have not yet developed diabetes. And we're really encouraged by what we found," said lead researcher Allison B. Goldfine, MD, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
The results of the study prompted the National Institutes of Health to fund a larger follow-up study to look at the safety and efficacy of targeting inflammation using salsalate in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. That study currently is under way at several sites across the country.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/02/11/hlbf0211.htm.
