DRI researchers are launching a study of type 2 diabetes patients to evaluate the impact of combining exercise with statin therapy. Statins, or cholesterol-lowering drugs, are commonly used to treat persons at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including those with diabetes. Would the addition of an exercise regimen further lessen the risk?
In early 2011, Dr. Luigi Meneghini,, director of the Eleanor and Joseph Kosow Diabetes Treatment Center at the Diabetes Research Institute, and his team will conduct a three-month study at the University of Miami Medical Wellness Center. In the randomized, controlled trial, participants will continue to take statins originally prescribed by their physicians, but some will combine that drug therapy with physical exercise and counseling. During the 12-week period, DRI scientists will monitor participants’ fasting lipid profiles, blood pressure, weight, body mass index and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
If the lifestyle intervention – exercise and counseling – proves to be beneficial, further studies could be conducted to better define its impact on preventing the development of cardiovascular disease in persons with diabetes.