Cholesterol drug cuts heart and stroke risks in diabetic women

A cholesterol-lowering drug can cut cardiovascular disease risks by 30 per cent in women with type-2 diabetes, a new study has found.
The drug fenofibrate reduced the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, or having a stroke or other adverse cardiovascular event by 30 per cent in women and 13 per cent in men, according to researchers from the University of Sydney.
The leading cause of death in women, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a constellation of ailments affecting the heart and blood vessels, including conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and diseases of the small blood vessels, such as in the eyes and kidneys.

The five-year study of nearly 10,000 people with type-2 diabetes also assessed fenofibrate's impact on a range of lipoproteins and triglycerides (circulating blood fats) that elevate the risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke and heart attack, and the need for medical procedures such as coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Among type-2 diabetic patients with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease - those with high levels of triglycerides and low levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL) - fenofibrate cut adverse cardiovascular outcomes by 30 per cent in women.
The study recommends that fenofibrate be considered as a useful way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in both women and men with type-2 diabetes.

High cholesterol is a leading risk factor for the deposition of circulating fats on the walls of blood vessels (atherosclerosis), which heightens the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Fenofibrate stimulates the action of an enzyme that breaks down triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins.
Stimulating this enzyme increases the breakdown of triglycerides (another type of blood lipid) and low-density lipoproteins in the bloodstream and raises HDL cholesterol.
The study is published in the journal Diabetologia.