The diabetes drug pioglitazone (Actos) works by addressing the body's insulin resistance. Now, a new study has found that the drug may also help reduce the risk of recurring stroke and heart attack, which are a major cause of disability and death worldwide.

For the new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers recruited nearly 4,000 people who were not diagnosed with diabetes but were insulin-resistant for five years to receive either pioglitazone or placebo.

Of those who received the placebo, 11.8 percent had either a stroke or heart attack. These incidences were lower at 9 percent in those who received the drug.

The occurrence of diabetes was also lower in those who took pioglitazone. About 4 percent of those who took the medication developed diabetes while 7 percent of the placebo patients developed the condition.

"We found that pioglitazone, a therapy directed at improving insulin sensitivity, can prevent cardiovascular events among patients who have insulin resistance along with cerebrovascular disease," the researchers conclude in their study. "Administration of pioglitazone in 100 patients similar to those in our trial for about five years could prevent three patients from having a stroke or myocardial infarction."

Scientists have long known that insulin resistance, which happens when the body's cells do not respond normally to insulin, increases risk for stroke and heart attack and the new study shows the benefits associated with using drugs for insulin resistance in preventing these incidences.

"After years of controversy, pioglitazone is now proven to have cardiovascular benefits," says Dr. Silvio Inzucchi, from Yale University. "It's exciting to think that metabolic therapy may now be poised to take its place beside aspirin and cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering therapies for preventing stroke in non-diabetic patients."

The study also found risks associated with taking the medication. The drug, for instance, was found to increase risk of bone fracture that requires either hospitalization or surgery. Weight gain and edema were also observed in patients who took the drug.

Despite the unwanted effects, the researchers say that the study identified pioglitazone as a new option for preventive health.