Review: Pioglitazone does not reduce risk for mortality or cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes

摘要

When does a meta-analysis not add much to the knowledge base aboutna particular health-related issue? When only 1 of the 22 included trialsnexamined the targeted question: in this case, does pioglitazone affectnrisk for cardiovascular disease events? That 1 study, PROspectivenpioglitAzone Clinical Trial In macroVascular Events (PROactive) (1),nlasted 35 months and included patients with diabetes and macrovascularndisease at baseline. Although pioglitazone did not lower the risk fornthe primary endpoints, it did result in a statistically significant, albeitnsmall, 2% absolute risk reduction in a secondary composite endpoint ofnmyocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality.