Stroke Prevention in People with Diabetes

The study was called HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation).

As a result of these findings, new guidelines issued by the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association and published in the January issue of Circulation recommend the use of ramipril in at-risk people with diabetes. Ramipril (Altace, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories) is an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Although cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of people with diabetes, many people with the disease are not aware of the link and are missing the benefits of available preventive therapies such as ramipril.

"The incidence of diabetes greatly increases with age,” notes Dr. Jeffrey Probstfield, professor of medicine, University of Washington, and investigator of the HOPE study. "Because the risk of cardiovascular disease also increases with age, the threat of cardiovascular disease should be a particular concern for older adults with diabetes.”



Related Links:
American Heart Association