Pills

In May of this year, I was invited to take part in a clinical trial of a drug that will hopefully be prescribed in the future to lessen the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with Type 2 Diabetes. This drug is already prescribed for Type 2 Diabetes treatment and it seems it may be effective in reducing heart attacks and strokes as well - hence the trial. I thought that even if it didn’t benefit me directly, it was something I could take part in to help fellow sufferers.
I met the basic criteria - over 55, Type 2 Diabetic and never had a stroke or heart attack - so I registered my interest after speaking to my doctor, who could see no drawbacks. An online questionnaire followed and I was invited to take part in the trial.
And this is the first stage. Taking the actual drug, in increasing doses, for the next three months. Quite strict instructions - take the pill first thing in the morning with half a glass of water and no eating or drinking anything else for at least 30 minutes - but not really an issue for me. Assuming no side effects, I will complete a survey at the end of this course of pills and, if I meet the criteria, will be randomly allocated either the drug or a placebo for the next five years.
My health will be monitored over those five years, and for up to twenty years afterwards. I won’t know whether I had the pill or the placebo until the end of the five years, and my GP will be kept up to date throughout.
Obviously, I can withdraw from the trial at any time, for any reason, but it’s surely got to be a worthwhile thing to do if it might help fellow Diabetes sufferers, reduce pressure on the NHS and - who knows - maybe even save lives.