(June 11, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Medical therapy may often be as beneficial as invasive techniques for opening blocked coronary blood vessels in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here is some information on revascularization procedures

•    It refers to one of two main procedures used to improve blood flow to the heart

•    In coronary artery bypass grafting, or CABG, a blood vessel taken from elsewhere in the body is used to create an alternate route for blood to reach the heart.

•    In percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, a balloon-tipped catheter is threaded through the arteries up to the blockage and inflated.

Researchers with the BARI 2D Study Group randomized over 2,000 patients with type 2 diabetes and heart disease to undergo revascularization or standard medical treatment. They were also assigned either insulin-sensitization or insulin-provision therapy.

After 5 years, all four groups had similar survival rates and rates of major cardiovascular events. Among candidates for CABG, however, those who underwent this procedure were less likely to experience a major cardiovascular event than those who received only medical therapy, especially those who received insulin sensitizing drugs.

We had a chance to speak with Dr. Maria Mori Brooks, one of the principal investigators of this study, who offered some further insight.

Today's research suggests that diabetics with significant heart disease may benefit from medical treatment as opposed to angioplasty and stenting. However, bypass grafting may be beneficial in more advanced cases. 

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.