Diabetes Management Key Following Heart Attack

Amulticenter European study found that blood sugar control may help patients with type 2 diabetesfollowing a heart attack. Intensive insulin therapy, however, does not appear necessary to achievebetter outcomes. The study analyzed 3 glucose-control strategies—2 insulin-based and 1 based onstandard practice—to treat >1200 patients with diabetes after they had a suspected heart attack.

The results of the study indicated lower blood glucose levels with the 2 insulin therapies within24 hours. Yet, glucose control over a period of time did not differ among the 3 treatmentapproaches. The mortality rate also did not change among all the treatment groups. Theresearchers said that what did have an impact was the blood sugar level, with high glucose levelsbeing "one of the most important prognostic predictors"of a patient's death. (The findings werepublished in the European Heart Journal, April 2005.)