Valsartan, commercially known as Diovan, a drug that controls blood pressure and reduces heart risk, also appears to protect against diabetes, especially in high-risk people, according to new research presented at the American Society of Hypertension's Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition (ASH 2005) by a University of Michigan physician who helped lead the study.

The randomized trial involved 15,313 patients at 942 sites in 31 countries, of whom 9,995 did not have diabetes at the start of the study. All patients were over age 50 and had high blood pressure and were at high risk for having a cardiac event. By the end of four or more years of follow-up, 11.5 percent of the patients taking valsartan had developed diabetes, compared with 14.5 percent of patients taking amlodipine.

In other words 300 more people have developed diabetes in a group of almost 10, 000 people. What is however interesting is the comment of Dr. Ken Jamerson, M.D., the U-M professor of internal medicine who presented the results - "Since we know from other studies that other hypertension medications such as diuretics come with a higher risk of diabetes, this result is especially interesting".

High blood sugar, faster heart rate, high body mass index, the concurrent use of a diuretic drug and beta blocker drug, non-white race and younger age were all associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes in all VALUE participants. But after all these variables were taken into account, patients who took valsartan had less of a chance of developing diabetes.

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