A revolutionary study at Dundee University has found that treatment for diabetes can have potentially lethal effects associated with heart failure.
Researchers have discovered that some anti-diabetic medication can lead to hazardous heart conditions and in some cases has even led to heart failure.
The research in Dundee’s School of Medicine was spearheaded by Professor Chim Lang.
He said: “Our team has now shown the dangers of not getting the balance right as well as which drugs are safer than others.
“This work will undoubtedly help guide the treatment of diabetes in patients with heart disease.”
“We have already seen recent recommendations by the American Diabetes Association to treat elderly diabetic patients less aggressively.
“Our research suggests this advice should be extended to those patients who suffer with heart failure.”
Professor Lang, whose team observed around 1500 patients from 1993 to 2010 during their study, found insensitive treatment could result in an early death amongst those whose blood sugar levels were below the recommended “sweet spot”.
The researchers have now been awarded €280,000 to study the effect of new, less harmful treatments.
Professor Lang added: “We are the first in the world to pioneer this research which could potentially see this drug treating both diabetes and heart failure simultaneously.”