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The study, which involved 9,300 patients at high risk for diabetes because their blood sugar was high, tested the drug nateglinide, which enhances insulin secretion.

"Most experts believed that nateglinide would prevent diabetes and that valsartan would reduce cardiovascular events in this population," said Dr. Robert Califf, the study's lead investigator.

The 9,306-patient study tested Starlix, known chemically as nateglinide, and the big-selling Novartis blood pressure medicine Diovan.

"Interestingly, with respect to nateglinide, we found the opposite," Cardiff said.