With their latest announcements two US expert panels recently attracted some attention amongst the medical community worldwide. And both are indirectly linked to the ACE (AcarboseCardiovascular Evaluation) study what makes them even more interesting.
With ACE a large outcome trial is underway to investigate the effects of acarbose(Glucobay®) on the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or new-onset type 2 diabetes in prediabeticpatients with exisitingcardiovascular disease (CVD). Considering the unique approach of the trial, it seems as if the ACE trial virtually anticipated the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent announcement at its Advisory Committee Meeting on Endocrinologic& Metabolic Drugs (July 2, 2008). A panel of outside experts recommended that approval requirements for glucose lowering drugs need to be adjusted towards more cardiovascular datasaying that new diabetes drugs should be subjected to studies to rule out cardiovascular risk. Not least, this move underscores the need to further evaluate the link between glycaemicand cardiovascular benefits of these substances and underlines the importance of ACE.
This announcement of the FDA advisors corresponds with another consensus statement, recently issued by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)[1]. In its paper a board of diabetes and metabolic disorder experts calls for greater awareness and treatment of prediabetesrequiring specific guidelines on both lifestyle and pharmaceutical intervention where appropriate. In this context special attention should be drawn to the prevention of cardiovascular complications be it by life style modification or, if indicated, by appropriate medications.

[1]Diabetes Experts Recommend One-Two Punch for Treating Patients with Pre-Diabetes. Available from www.media.aace.com.

Berlin / Amsterdam, October, 2007 - The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has published new guidelines on the contribution and impact of post-meal glucose in diabetes disease management at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) on September 19, 2007. The IDF recognises the growing evidence that post-meal glucose is a key contributor to overall glycaemic control - particularly with respect to HbA1C levels, and that reducing post-meal glucose has a significant impact on the risk of developing diabetic complications. The new guidelines include a specific reference to acarbose (Glucobay®*) as a pharmacological agent with a substantial body of evidence proving that it lowers post-meal glucose and thereby effectively reduces the risks associated with high post-meal glucose levels.

• Click here to download the press release (27.05 KB)
• Click here to download the new IDF guideline (628.47 KB)

The new ESC-EASD Guidelines on Diabetes, Prediabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases were presented at the implementation meeting in Nice end of June. You can listen to all lectures of this meeting in a webcast.

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The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has published a new consensus statement on type 2 diabetes prevention which recommends considering intervention with acarbose (Glucobay®) when lifestyle intervention alone has failed. The new IDF guideline was presented at the 2nd International Congress on Prediabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome held in Barcelona, Spain, April 25-28, 2007.

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