Diabetes is a serious medical condition that has to be treated timely and adequately. Otherwise it can lead to serious damages of the cardiovascular system and other organs. The diabetes Rosiglitazone drugs, with brand names like Avandia, Avandamet and Avandaryl, have been found effective for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, but there has been great controversy about their side effects on the heart and the cardiovascular system.
The role of diabetes Rosiglitazone drugs is to work in increasing the responsiveness of fat cells to insulin. It is the molecules of the chemical compound which attacks PPAR receptors found in the fat cells. It makes them more sensitive to insulin. This way, they can process it effectively. This is the reason why such medications are also known as “sensitizers”.
We can find a majority of fat cells which these drugs affect in the liver as well as in the heart muscle and in the blood vessel walls. You can also find them in different muscles in the body. Due to this, scientists are trying hard to research more about the effects of these drugs on above mentioned organs.
There was a 2007 study which showed how Avandia can increase the risks of heart attack by about 43%. Even in the United States, their Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was able to link more than 83,000 cases of heart attack. It is noted that these occurred between the years 1999 and 2007 to users of the drug, Rosiglitazone.
There is also a study that revealed how this drug can increase the risks of stroke to about 27%. The results were even published in year 2010. It should also be pointed out that there were several other studies who found an insignificant increase in risks of both heart attack and stroke, particularly in patients who were taking these medications.
Due to the initial findings of the 2007 study and warnings from physicians treating patients taking these diabetes drugs, the FDA reviewed Avandia in 2007. The FDA advisory panel concluded that the risk of the Rosiglitazone drug causing heart attack and stroke was statistically insignificant. Despite this, the manufacturing company added a black-box warning on the label of the medication.
Despite this conclusion, controversies about the intake of the medication still exist. In September 2010, it was announced that the United Kingdom’s Commission on Human Medicines has recommended the respective regulatory body in the United Kingdom to withdraw these drugs’ sale stating that their “risk outweighs the benefits.”
Even though the debate about the risk of Avandia and the other Rosiglitazone drugs causing heart attack is ongoing, the manufacturing company’s lawyers have announced that the manufacturer faces Avandia lawsuits from users who claim they have not been warned about the potential side effects.
Lawyers of these plaintiffs actually based their cases on the mere fact that the black-box warning pertaining to the risks of heart attack was not on the label until year 2007. As for Rosiglitazone drugs, they had been on the shelves of drugstores for a very long period of time. Like for Avandia, it obtained its patent and then, it was introduced last 1999.
Diabetes patients have every right to be informed and notified about the potentially serious side effects of their medications. It is important that you discuss your particular situation to your physician. This way, they can recommend the most effective as well as the safest treatment in your case.
If you are hesitant to file an Avandia Lawsuit, fill out a free compensation evaluation form so that you will know if you have a chance to win in court and get compensation from an Avandia Lawsuit.