Long-Term Follow-Up After Intensive Glucose-Lowering Treatment

By the Editors

The benefits of intensive glucose-lowering in patients with type 2 diabetes persist after treatment ends — but only for as long as glycated hemoglobin values remain reduced — according to long-term follow-up from the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In brief, the intensive-treatment group had lower glycated hemoglobin levels than the standard-treatment group for roughly 10 years — which included about 5 years of treatment and 5 years of follow-up. During this time, intensive treatment was associated with a 17% lower risk for cardiovascular events. However, in years 10 through 15 — when glycated hemoglobin levels had equalized between the groups — there was no longer a significant benefit from intensive therapy.

Dr. Allan Brett takes a closer at these findings in NEJM Journal Watch General Medicine. Have a look at the first link below.