Avandia – A Dangerous Diabetes Drug

Avandia was approved by the FDA in May 1999 for use in improving control of blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics. Since its approval, Avandia, which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, has been used by more than seven million people worldwide and is, today, being used by over one million Americans.
According to a study on Avandia conducted by the Cleveland Clinic which was published on May 21, 2007, by the New England Journal of Medicine, the popular drug is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and, in some cases, death. The study, which compiled data from 42 studies involving 15,560 patients who took the drug and 12,283 patients given other medications or a placebo, showed a 43 percent higher risk of heart attack and other heart-related adverse events while taking Avandia.
The FDA is continuing to analyze the data and to investigate the increased risk of heart attack linked to Avandia. Although the FDA has not reached any conclusions and its analysis of the drug is ongoing, on May 21, 2007, the FDA advised patients using Avandia, especially those who have underlying heart disease or who are at high risk of heart attack, to consult with their physicians about this new information.
For those of us who know people who have Type 2 diabetes it is important that we make them aware of the dangers of this drug.