Oral diabetes drug, Avandia, may greatly increase risk of heart attack
Patients taking Avandia, an oral diabetes drug from GlaxoSmithKline, proved 43 percent more likely to have heart attacks according to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Higher death rates accompanied the greater heart attack rates, reported researcher Steven Nissen, MD, chair of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, along with associate Kathy Wolski, MPH.
Drugs used to treat diabetes are supposed to help lower blood sugar, which in turn is supposed to lessen the likelihood of heart disease, not increase it. Therefore the findings, if confirmed by other investigators, will likely curtail the popularity of GlaxoSmithKline’s number two drug in terms of sales.
The researchers re-examined existing data from previous studies to uncover the previously unnoticed dangers. In that regard, their work was similar to recent reports on Fosamax, also reported in the NEJM. Nissen in particular has uncovered such previously overlooked problems in the past, having been the first to question the safety of Merck’s pain killer Vioxx, subsequently withdrawn from the market.
Glaxo is disputing the findings, which are under review by the Food and Drug Adminstration.
Patients currently taking Avandia are urged to talk to their doctors before making any changes in their dosage regimen.
