NAVIGATOR Trial Investigators Call for Closer Attention to Glucose Levels in Cardiovascular and Diabetes At-Risk Patients.

MUNICH, Germany, August 31 /PRNewswire/ --

- Data from this and other Diovan(R)(valsartan) studies, including VALIANT and Val-HeFT presented at the European Society Congress 2004

An analysis of more than 39,000 potential participants in the global NAVIGATOR (Nateglinide And Valsartan in Impaired Glucose Tolerance Outcomes Research) trial showed that an automatic assessment of glycemic status may improve unrecognised detection of type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in people with heart disease or with risk factors for it.

Researchers found of those screened for the trial, one in four had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, and a further 25-30 percent had previously unrecognised impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, also known as a pre-diabetes condition which frequently progresses to clinical diabetes). Type 2 diabetes and IGT are both risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease.

"Physicians have long recognized cardiovascular disease as a common risk for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes; however, they are not aware of how frequently IGT and type 2 diabetes appear in people with heart disease or with risk factors for heart disease," said John McMurray, MD, Professor of Medical Cardiology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK and NAVIGATOR investigator.

"We're issuing this call for more vigilance on glycemic status. Although a high percentage of people we screened for NAVIGATOR tested positive for…