Avandia Study Shows Increased Risk Of Heart Failure

-Ennis & Ennis, P.A.
-J.Murawski

09/28/2009 - Avandia is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Recently however, studies have shown that Avandia significantly increases the risk of heart attack and heart related deaths.

Earlier this month Toronto researchers for the Canadian study found that patients taking the controversial diabetes drug Avandia (Rosiglitazone) had an increased risk of heart failure. The study  and its findings haves been published in the British Medical Journal for the month of September.

This has not been the first study to come to this conclusion. Avandia's scrutiny began in 2007 when 42 clinical trials published by the Cleveland Clinic showed a 43 percent higher risk of having a heart attack.

The Toronto researchers wanted to see whether the cardiac effects are a class effect, or whether there's a difference in cardiac safety between the two drugs.The study involved 39,494 patients, aged 66 and older, who were started on either Avandia or Actos between April 2002 and March 2008.
Compared to Avandia users, patients treated with Actos had a 23 percent lower risk of being hospitalized for congestive heart failure, and a 14 percent lower risk of death from any cause.

The principal investigator, Dr. David Juurlink  said of the results "It sounds like a small number, but when you think about the millions of patients who have been on these drugs it actually becomes a much bigger number," "If a million patients were treated with rosiglitazone (Avandia) rather than pioglitazone (Actos), these results imply that we would see more than 8,000 excess admissions for heart failure, and more than 3,000 additional deaths from any cause," 

Dr. Juurlink is a scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto, and head of the division of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Given the evidence of this report, researchers question if Avandia should be removed from the market. "Given the accumulating evidence of harm with rosiglitazone therapy and the lack of a distinct clinical advantage for the drug over pioglitazone, it is reasonable to question whether ongoing use of rosiglitazone is justified in any circumstance," researchers stated.

Dr. Juurlink stated that his opinion is that the drug should no longer be used. "I think patients who are taking Avandia need to speak with their doctors, and ask their doctor whether or not they should be on this drug."

More than 6 million Americans have taken Avandia in the past eight years. 

If you or a loved one have experienced an Avandia heart attack, or Avandia stroke, Avandia congestive heart failure, Avandia cardiovascular disease or if you have lost a loved one to an Avandia death you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Avandia attorneys of Ennis & Ennis today for a free confidential case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding Avandia's side effects, a possible Avandia class action lawsuit, or any other type of Avandia litigation.