Preventing Diabetes-Related Kidney Disease Drug Combo May Help
Avoid Precursor to Kidney Disease Nov. 3, 2004 -- Combining two
commonly prescribed blood pressure medications or taking a
routinely prescribed blood pressure pill may help people with
type 2 diabetes avoid kidney disease, according to a new study.
The commonly prescribed medications are an ACE (angiotensin-
converting enzyme) inhibitor called Mavik and a calcium channel
blocker called verapamil (also called Calan SR and Isoptin SR).
The study, which appears in the Nov. 4 issue of The New England
Journal of Medicine, shows that these medications, when taken
together, can help prevent kidney problems in people who have
type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. It shows that in people
with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, the combination of
an ACE inhibitor and calcium channel blocker reduced the risk of
developing the abnormal presence of protein in the urine, which
often foreshadows kidney failure. The study also shows that
protection from a