August 1, 2011
Usually all diabetics are considered at high risk for cardiovascular disease and are often treated aggressively with drugs to help reduce that risk.

Study authors say many may not need these treatments so they collected data on the hemoglobin levels of more than 24,000 women and more than 11,000 men.

They found by adding the hemoglobin level test results to patient data, they were more accurately able to predict cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients.

Findings appear in the 'archives of internal medicine.'