Avandia Heart Atacks Link- Drug for Diabetics May Increase Risk by 40 Percent

May 26, 2007

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert for Avandia, a widely prescribed drug to treat type-2 diabetics. According to FDA, Studies show that there is “a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia.” By “potentially significant” they are referring to the 30% – 40% increased risk as suggested by data provided to FDA by GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturers of Avandia.

However, there are also studies that provide contradictory evidence about any link between heart attacks and Avandia in patients treated with the drug for type-2 diabetes. Furthermore, FDA warns that there are risks in switching patients from one diabetes treatment to another. Therefore, patients who are taking Avandia should speak to their doctor before ceasing their treatment.

Diabetics who have underlying heart disease, or who are at high risk for heart attacks should immediately speak to their physician about Avandia and the possible increase in heart attacks and the risks of heart-related death.

Avandia was approved in 1999 for treatment of type 2 diabetes, which affects about 20-million Americans. Diabetes is a leading cause of coronary heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation. Since Avandia was approved, FDA has been monitoring several heart-related side effects, including congestive heart failure. FDA has updated the product’s labeling on several occasions to reflect these new data, most recently in 2006. The most recent labeling change for Avandia also includes a new warning about a potential increase in heart attacks and heart-related chest pain in some patients using Avandia. This new warning was based on the result of a controlled clinical trial in patients with EXISTING congestive heart failure.

However, Avandia’s manufacturer (GlaxoSmithKline) recently provided FDA with an analysis of 42 randomized, controlled clinical trials in which Avandia was compared to either placebo or other anti-diabetic therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes. The pooled analysis suggested that patients receiving short-term treatment with Avanda may have a 30-percent to 40-percent greater risk of heart attack and other heart-related side effects than patients treated with a placebo or another anti-diabetic therapy. This is a significant concern because patients with diabetes are already at an increased risk of heart disease.

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Comments

4 Responses to “Avandia Heart Atacks Link- Drug for Diabetics May Increase Risk by 40 Percent”

  1. mary c smith on April 23rd, 2008 1:55 am

    i took avanda for a long time. I have congested heart fallaer. I also have a bad time with my bones, truable in my spine, arms, hands i craked a bone in my left foot. I have to take shots in my back, shoulder, hands

  2. Evidence is Mounting in Favor of an Avandia Recall - US Recall News Alert on November 7th, 2008 4:10 am

    [...] concerns surrounding the drug first emerged in May 2007, leading the FDA to issue an Avandia safety alert stating that studies show there is a “potentially significant increase in the risk of heart [...]

  3. Linda Cartwright on January 7th, 2009 2:07 am

    I was on avandia for several years on the insistance of my doctor . I developed congestive heart failure from the medicine and I had to have heart surgery and I have had bad congestive heart problems ever since. I wish the drug companies would better test these drugs be fore the doctor’s dispence them.

  4. Geneva Eccleston. on January 28th, 2009 5:24 pm

    I have been taking Avanda for the past six years along with other medication. I have discovered that my blood pressure has shot up, much higher than I would like it to be. I am now on two blood pressure pills and I am not getting any better. I try to eat what I am told to eat, but even moreso,because I love fruits and I live in the tropics I am able to get plenty of fresh fruits. My daily diet consists mainly of fresh fruits and vegetable, sweet potatoes (yellow belly) and yam. I also eat fresh fish and chicken.
    I do my blood test each morning as I awake, but my blood count is up and down li
    ke a yo-yo.
    What other steps can I do to help my diabetese.
    P.S. My eyes are good I make sure I take my test as they become due.
    I have no pain in my feet, i am energetic and actually dont feel ill except for the high blood presure.

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