Fenofibrate cuts CV risk 27% in some patients

Belgian drugmaker Solvay's best-selling drug fenofibrate reduces  cardiovascular disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes and  atherogenic dyslipidemia, according to new data from the FIELD study  published in the latest issue of Diabetes Care.

In these patients, who have high triglycerides and low high-density  lipoprotein levels, fenofibrate treatment was associated with a  significant 27% relative reduction in the risk of cardiovascular  events, compared with 11% in FIELD patients overall.

Russell Scott, an investigator in the FIELD study, said: "This relative  reduction is of a similar order to that observed with statin treatment.  Physicians can prevent one fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular event by  treating only 23 of these patients over five years with fenofibrate."