New tool finds best heart disease and stroke therapies for patients with diabetes

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Mayo Clinic have a computer model, that doctors can use to determine the best time for treatment of statins in patients with diabetes for the prevention of heart disease and stroke brain.

"The research is important because patients with diabetes have a high risk of cardiovascular disease and statins are the only widespread treatment in patients with risk of heart disease and / or stroke" says Dr. Brian Denton, "and this model can contribute to better measure for each patient on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease." Denton is an assistant professor at NC State's Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and lead author of the study.

Statins are an essential element of cardiovascular disease, guidelines for medical treatment, said Denton. Reduce cholesterol levels and can significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, especially among high risk patients.

Researchers have developed a new mathematical model, that the treatment of various policy options, to see how it affects short-and long-term health for patients. The model shows that people are affected by diabetes, and that their health is changing over time as patients whose disease and age.

The new model includes patient specific data. A risk model established for each patient the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, on the basis of risk factors, such as their cholesterol, blood pressure, so the overall risk "score" is used for the benefits medical early statin treatment against the financial cost for statins.

In total, the accounts of the progression of diabetes, patients with specific risk and the result of cost-benefit analysis, the new model can help patients and physicians on the best time to start statin therapy.

Denton said the new model has not yet implemented, but the research team plans to develop a pilot of the tool in the hands of doctors.