Canadian researchers report that the drug, Avandia, approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, may help prevent the disease from developing in high-risk individuals.

In the Diabetes Reduction Assessment with Ramipril and Rosiglitazone Medications (DREAM) trial, the Canadian team randomly assigned nearly 5,300 adults from clinics in 21 countries to get 8 milligrams of Avandia or a placebo daily for three years. All of the participants were at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, having already shown signs of poor blood-sugar control. Over the course of the trial, 280 people (12 percent) taking Avandia went on to develop type 2 diabetes compared with 658 people (26 percent) who received the placebo, the researchers report.

The DREAM researchers announced their findings at a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, in Copenhagen. The results of the Avandia arm of the study are also published in the Sept. 15 online edition of The Lancet. The results of the Altace arm of the study will appear in the Oct. 12 print edition of the New England Journal of Medicine; the findings were released Friday, to coincide with the presentation in Copenhagen.

The president for medicine and science of the American Diabetes Association, Dr. Larry C. Deeb is horrified by the diabetic explosion going on around us. He fears that diabetes prevention is becoming a pharmacological intervention. People would rather pop a pill than implement a healthier diet and exercising. Sadly, I must agree with you, Larr. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.