Well, now I am thoroughly confused. I AM IN THE ACCORD PROGRAM. Have been or 4 years.

I'm in the Standard Blood Sugar group and the Intensive Blood Pressure group.

Four years ago, I went in with an a1c level of 9.5. It's now 6. I started with 46 units of Lantus and 2000 of Metformin. Went off the Metformin in 4 to 6 months. So for the most part of my participation in this protocol, I am just taking the shot of Lantus in the a.m. I'm now down to 16. They've changed my blood pressure meds from time to time. Sometimes they add a water pill to the meds. But I didn't like the light headedness so now I'm just on 20 mgs of the zestril.

My blood pressure is just fine. Of course I completely changed my eating habits and started walking. Lost a lot of weight.

When I got that letter in the mail saying what happened in the ACCORD program (got this letter last year), the letter said they moved ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE INTENSIVE BLOOD SUGAR PART OF THE STUDY into the STANDARD BLOOD SUGAR STUDY.

There was to be no more INTENSIVE BLOOD SUGAR STUDY.

When I went back to my next appointment, I remember asking the ACCORD people at Cornell, "What does this letter mean as far as I am concerned"?. They said "don't worry, this does not apply to you, you are doing just great , BETTER THAN EXPECTED". I seem to have gotten better readings than I was expected to get.

Now perhaps the 203 who died and who were in the same Standard group I was in, maybe they started out with blood sugars of 600 or so and got them down to normal, and maybe that was a strain on their heart?? I have no idea what blood pressure meds those people were on.

All I know is that this program saved MY life. I have a chance of going off insulin for good and at my age (61), that's a gift.

I do know that many of the people (most of them, that I saw there), were obese. Maybe they didn't change their eating habits?? But they took the meds, hoping that this would be enough?

I wish I had more information. All I can say is what happened to me. Out of all the people in the protocol, I was extremely lucky to achieve what I did. I put everything I learned, well I put it to my best advantage. I listened. I learned and I applied.

So far my ticker is ticking pretty good. Let's just hope it keeps ticking. My participation in the ACCORD program is over in April. They will continue to monitor me from time to time after that.

Melody