Cholesterol pill may slow diabetic retinopathy

[Northerner]

A NEW use for an old cholesterol drug could prevent blindness in patients with Type 2 diabetes, which has affected ten thousand Australians in the past decade.

The nation's medicines regulator has approved the first tablet to help slow down diabetic retinopathy that can cause blindness.

The blood-fat lowering pill Lipidil has been used for almost ten years in Australia to manage blood cholesterol but breakthrough Australian research has found it also helps slow down vision loss in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Sydney University cardiologist Professor Tony Keech studied the effects of the cholesterol pill Lipidil on reducing heart disease in 10,000 patients with Type 2 diabetes between 1997 and 2005.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...etic-retinopathy/story-fneuz9ev-1226768158142

 

[trophywench]

Great, apparently I'm going to get retinopathy anyway however good my BG control is.

Thanks for that bit of info, Oz Diabetic Assn. Or should I thank the newspaper?

Oh hang on, is it only T2s?



Lipidil is a fenofibrate, ISTR fibrates can have some digestive side effects - oh yes and liver damage, may cause gallstones if you use em for 'several years' LOL