Medications for Diabetes-Related Heart Disease

05/23/08 Treatment Options

Two medications may help treat a common cardiac condition that afflicts many people living with type 2 diabetes.

New research has found that Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and fenofibrate may help treat left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), a condition that impairs the efficiency of the heart’s left ventricle. The condition raises blood pressure.

CoQ10 is a chemical that occurs naturally in the body and is essential to cell function. Its occurrence in the body decreases with age and among people with chronic conditions like heart and kidney failure and diabetes. It has also become a popular dietary supplement.

Fenofibrate is an anitlipidemic agent, or a medication that reduces lipids in the blood like cholesterol. It is produced under the trade names Antara™ , Fenoglide™, Lipofen™, Lofibra™ , Lofibra®,  TriCor® and Triglide™.

The study set out to determine if either or both of the products would increase cardiac function. What they learned was that the diastolic blood pressure, which is the lower number in a reading representing the heart during its “rest” cycle, was decreased when CoQ10 and fenofibrate were taken either alone or with each other. When taken together, the blood pressure at night was markedly enhanced. Fenofibrate reduced the heart rate, but CoQ10 did not. Neither improved heart function in any statistically significant manner.

The article will appear in Diabetes Care May 28, 2008, and is the result of a three medical center research project in Western Australia. The results are quite interesting and will have application down the road.  However, the number of study participants was quite low. It is a good first step but readers are urged, as always, to proceed cautiously when interpreting the results. That being said, taking coenzyme Q10 judiciously would probably not be a bad idea for anyone with a chronic illness or over the age of 40.

Corie Richter is a nurse and physician's assistant who started her career as a health educator. The survivor of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and partially successful quadruple bypass surgery, she did not let her health challenges hamper her. Neither the limitations of spinal surgery nor of diabetes have deterred her from a mission of service. She now encourages others through writing and speaking engagements to master their disabilities through education and a proactive attitude.