Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease–the leading cause of death in people with diabetes. Previous studies suggest that reducing blood sugar levels of type 2 diabetes to comparable levels found in non-diabetic adults may reduce the rate of cardio vascular disease of diabetic patients. Two studies were developed to test the effectiveness of the lower blood glucose levels, but the results contradicted one another.

The first study, ACCORD, involved 10,251 participants. The trial was halted after 18 months because the data suggested that patients who received intensive treatment to lower blood glucose levels are at higher risk for death.

A more recent study, ADVANCE, involving 11,140 high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes did not find the same risk of death among patients receiving aggressive treatment to lower blood glucose.

Dr. Pavel Mament, professor of Medicine, Canada Research Chair of Predictive Genomics at Université de Montréal and Chief, Gene Medicine Services at Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, the Canadian lead investigator and member of ADVANCE Management Committee, found after a review of data that the treatment strategy of intensively lowering blood sugar does not pose a greater risk to type 2 diabetes patients.