According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a link has been discovered between consuming Avandia and developing heart disease and heart failure. While the article received much attention and was followed by several additional studies confirming the alleged side effects, the drug remained on the market following a May 2007 Food and Drug Administration health advisory. Now, however, patients who consume Avandia may be switching to its counterpart, Actos, as both are part of the drug class known as thiazolidinediones, but Actos is apparently less risky especially among elderly diabetic patients aged 65 years of age and older.

The American Heart Association (AHA), makers of Avandia GlaxoSmithKline and the biotechnology firm Amgen funded the study. According to the study, approximately 28,000 diabetic patients who consumed Avandia or Actos (approximately 50.3 percent of took Avandia while the other additional 49.7 percent consumed Actos) from 2000 to 2005. After studying the results of the five-year study, researchers determined that of the 1,869 patients that died, there was a 15 percent higher rate of death among those consuming Avandia compared to Actos.

What is Avandia?

Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone maleate, is a type 2 diabetes medication that is part of a fairly new class of diabetic drugs. Instead of providing a diabetic patient with insulin or the ability to make more insulin in order to regulate blood sugar levels, Avandia works by building on the body's natural insulin levels to improve and regulate a diabetic's blood glucose. According to manufacturers, patients who are taking Avandia actually should not even consume insulin or nitrates for their condition.

Avandia has been investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for side effects including heart disease and heart failure as well as early-onset osteoporosis, but the drug has an additional list of side effects, according to the results of short-term clinical trials of Avandia, including the following:

* upper respiratory tract infection

* headache

* injury

* back pain

* hyperglycemia

* fatigue

* sinusitis

* diarrhea

* hypoglycemia

Living With Avandia Risks

Patients who have suffered from the potential Avandia side effects are advised to seek medical attention immediately to discuss alternate medications that may assist in regulating glucose levels without the severity of the Avandia side effects.

It is also advisable to discuss an Avandia class action lawsuit with a pharmaceutical attorney to protect the health and finances of a victim of Avandia. Such litigation may provide an Avandia victim with monetary compensation for the potential damages a patient may have incurred while a patient consumed the drug.

Copyright (c) 2008 Katie Kelley