Diabetes Drug Tied To Heart Risk In Study (Avandia)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CBS News/AP

Avandia, the biggest-selling diabetes drug in the world, is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and possibly death, says a new scientific analysis published online Monday.

More than 6 million people worldwide have taken the drug sold by London-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC since it came on the market eight years ago. Pooled results of dozens of studies revealed a 43 percent higher risk of heart attack, according to the review published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Experts said the overall risk was small and cautioned people not to stop taking the drug on their own but to talk to their doctors.

The company downplayed the report of heart risks, saying the analysis by Dr. Steven Nissen and statistician Kathy Wolski at the Cleveland Clinic is not definitive scientific proof. In a conference call Monday, Dr. Lawson McCartney, who leads Glaxo's diabetes drug development, said the company is not seeing "anything like" the problems reported in the medical journal.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/21/health/main2831501.shtml

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Wucking funderful.

:eyes:

So is it back to glucophage then? :grr:

[southpaw]

3. Have you ever been prescribed Glucovance?

It is a combo of gliburide and metformin. It's been working well for me :)

[Lerkfish]

2. I briefly tried this drug: it made my ankles swell and my breath short

I couldn't even climb stairs comfortably. I quit taking it on my own until I could get in to see the doctor, who put me on something else.

Turns out I did the right thing. And on top of it, it was over $300 a month!