People at risk of diabetes could benefit from a drug to treat high blood pressure, says a Bradford on Avon doctor involved in an international medical trial.
Dr Nigel Gough, who practises at the Health Centre, Bradford, said 46 patients from the town and Trowbridge took part in the trial that compared two drugs for high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension.
The drugs valsartan and amlodipine, with the brand names Diovan and Istin, are both widely used already for lowering blood pressure to help prevent a heart attack or a stroke.
The trial showed there was little difference between the impact of the two drugs on preventing stroke and heart attacks.
But Dr Gough believes the most important result of the trial was that less people developed diabetes during their illness when they were taking Diovan compared to Istin. There was a 23 per cent reduction in the development of diabetes with Diovan.
Dr Gough said he would change his prescribing habits as a result.
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