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Home>Diabetes> Astrazeneca Examines Impact of Cardiovascular Disease on Type 2 Diabetes at Amer
Astrazeneca Examines Impact of Cardiovascular Disease on Type 2 Diabetes at Amer
AstraZeneca will present results from two new studies demonstrating the relationship between cardiovascular complications and type 2 diabetes at the 64th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Additionally, AstraZeneca will support symposia examining the link between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Results from "Evaluation of the Framingham and UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Cardiovascular Risk Functions in Forecasting Costs and Outcomes in People With Type 2 Diabetes," a study comparing equations used for estimating risk of new coronary heart disease events in type 2 diabetics, will be presented at a poster session on June 5, 2004.
A second study, "Health-Related Utility in Patients with Complications Associated With Type 2 Diabetes: A Comparison Between Patients With and Without Diabetes," will examine data from the UK Health Outcomes Data Repository on more than 14,000 hospital inpatients. The study, designed to determine the implications for how multiple complications should be valued on economic models, will also be presented at a poster session on June 5, 2004.
AstraZeneca, through educational grants, is also supporting two symposia. "Pathways from Insulin Resistance to Cardiovascular Disease: New Insights into Management and Prevention" will be held on Saturday, June 5 and "Double Jeopardy: Diabetes and Dyslipidemia" will be presented on Sunday, June 6.
"AstraZeneca's research into type 2 diabetes is a natural extension of our existing cardiovascular portfolio," said Gunnar Olsson, MD, Vice President, Cardiovascular Therapeutic Area, AstraZeneca. "Understanding the link between type 2 diabetes and CVD is of critical importance as we try to better address this costly and potentially fatal relationship. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease-in fact, a person with type 2 diabetes shares the same increased risk as someone who has already suffered from a previous heart attack."
ASTRAZENECA'S COMMITMENT TO TYPE 2 DIABETES
AstraZeneca is committed to the research and development of innovative treatments designed to decrease the risk, prevalence and impact of CVD, including type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop CVD and the ADA estimates there are 17 million people with type 2 diabetes in the US.
To this end, AstraZeneca is researching new treatment options for type 2 diabetes, including dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) agonists. PPARs are a group of receptors, such as PPARalpha and PPARgamma, located in the nucleus of cells that influence lipid and glucose metabolism, making them important targets for research into controlling both the hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia associated with type 2 diabetes. Glitazars are among a number of potential drugs which, in a single molecule, can act on PPAR alpha and gamma receptors, and are intended to improve dyslipidemia and restore insulin sensitivity. AstraZeneca is developing a dual PPAR alpha/gamma agonist, which is currently in Phase III development, called GALIDA?(tesaglitazar).
AstraZeneca supports Make the Link! - the American Diabetes Association's cardiovascular public health education program, which urges people to make the link between diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Through Make the Link!, the ADA emphasizes the need for comprehensive diabetes care that goes beyond lowering of blood glucose and targets other cardiovascular risk factors.
Other goals of Make the Link! are to educate healthcare providers on proper CVD diagnosis and treatment, and to inform patients on their risk and appropriate therapies. AstraZeneca also supports "Doing Better," the ADA's initiative to develop and distribute tools that will support diabetes patients in making beneficial lifestyle changes to improve important measures, such as HbA1c level, weight, body mass index and cholesterol.
ABOUT DIABETES
Of the two types of diabetes, type 2 diabetes accounts for 85-95% of all cases worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation, an estimated 194 million people worldwide were afflicted with diabetes by 2003 and that number was expected to increase to 333 million by 2025. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the IDF estimate 3.2 million deaths can be attributed to diabetes each year. More than 65 percent of deaths in diabetes patients are attributed to heart and vascular disease. People with diabetes also develop cardiovascular complications at an earlier age, are two to four times more likely to suffer strokes, and about 73 percent of adults with diabetes are considered prehypertensive.
A 2002 report from the American Diabetes Association concluded that better access to preventive care, more widespread diagnosis and more intensive disease management could significantly improve the quality of life for people with diabetes and potentially reduce national expenditures for health care services.
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ABOUT ASTRAZENECA
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world with healthcare sales of over $18.8 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience and respiratory products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.
AstraZeneca has more than 40 years experience in cardiovascular medicine and aims to increase lifespan and improve quality of life by reducing the risk, prevalence and impact of cardiovascular disease. AstraZeneca has a comprehensive cardiovascular portfolio including CRESTORTM, ATACANDTM, ZESTRILTM, TENORMINTM, SELOKEN ZOK /TOPROL-XLTM and PLENDILTM. This heritage is complemented by an innovative pipeline including the first oral direct thrombin inhibitor, EXANTATM, and a novel treatment for type 2 diabetes / metabolic syndrome, GALIDATM.
For more information, please visit http://www.astrazenecapressoffice.com
 
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