Beneficial impact of intensified multifactorial intervention on risk of stroke: outcome of 21 years of follow-up in the randomised Steno-2 Study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Epidemiological studies have shown that diabetes is a well-established independent but modifiable risk factor for stroke. The aim of this post hoc analysis of data from the Steno-2 Study was to examine whether multiple risk factor intervention reduced the risk for stroke in individuals with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria. METHODS: In the Steno-2 Study, 160 individuals with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria were randomised to intensified or conventional multiple risk factor intervention, targeting classical cardiovascular disease risk factors for a mean of 7.8 years, and then followed for a total mean of 21.2 years. The primary endpoint in this post hoc analysis was time to first stroke event. RESULTS: During follow-up, 30 participants experienced a total of 39 strokes. Individuals randomised to conventional therapy were more likely to experience a stroke than those in the intensive-therapy group, with 29 total strokes occurring in 21 participants (26%) in the conventional-therapy group vs a total of ten strokes in nine participants (11%) in the intensive-therapy group (HR 0.31 [95% CI 0.14, 0.69]; p = 0.004). Also, the number of recurrent strokes was significantly reduced with intensive therapy. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Intensified multiple risk factor intervention in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria reduces the risk for strokes as well as the number of recurrent cerebrovascular events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00320008. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00125-019-4920-3) contains peer-reviewed but unedited supplementary material, which is available to authorised users.