Drug may reduce risk of diabetes-related amputations

NEW YORK A drug designed to lower cholesterol can reduce the risk of amputations in diabetes patients, according to an Australian study published last week in The Lancet.

The study, conducted by researchers at the National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sidney, found that using the drug fenofibrate to lower blood fats in patients with Type 2 diabetes reduces the overall risk of a first diabetes-related amputation by 36%.

Researchers Anthony Keech and Kushwin Rajamani analyzed the 9,795 patients ages 50 to 75 who took part in a drug trial, with roughly half receiving daily 200-mg doses of fenofibrate and the rest receiving placebo over a five-year period. During the period, 115 of the patients had diabetes-related amputations, though they were more likely to have cardiovascular disease, previous amputations and certain other health conditions.

Several companies sell fenofibrate as a generic.