Cholesterol Drug Fenofibrate Linked to Reduced Risk of Amputation in Diabetics

Diabetics who take the cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate are at dramatically lower risk of amputation of their lower extremities, new research has found.

Fenofibrate is sold under the brand names Antara, Fenoglide, Lipofen, Lofibra, TriCor, and Triglide and helps reduce cholesterol and triclygerides in the blood, which have been linked to clogged arteries (atherosclerosis).

In a new study, Australian researchers found the drug also appears to reduce by as much as 36 percent the risk of lower-limb amputations compared to patients taking a placebo drug. The findings were based on analysis of a pair of earlier studies, including one in Australia that followed nearly 10,000 diabetics for five years.

“Treatment with fenofibrate was associated with a lower risk of amputations, particularly minor amputations,” meaning those below the ankle, said researchers from the National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Center at the University of Sydney, Australia.

The research team said “these findings could lead to a change in standard treatment for the prevention of diabetes-related lower-limb amputations.”

Amputations of infected feet and toes are fairly common among diabetics. High blood sugar associated with diabetes can damage nerves and blood vessels in the feet and lower extremities, leading to gangrene. The toes, feet, and legs are most at risk from this type of life-threatening infection.

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