More Follow-Up from the ACCORD Trial

In the landmark ACCORD trial, 10,000 older patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes were randomized to achieve a target glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) level of <6% or a target of 7% to 7.9%. The study was stopped after average follow-up of 3.5 years, when mortality was significantly higher in the intensive-treatment group than in the standard-treatment group (5% vs. 4%). During further follow-up of 1.5 years, the intensity of glucose-lowering in the intensive-treatment group was relaxed. Now, researchers report outcomes at 5 years (the originally planned study duration).

Overall mortality remained significantly higher in the intensive-treatment group than in the standard group (7.6% vs. 6.4%). Compared with the standard group, the intens…