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News Articles >> Avandia: Strong Link to Heart Failure
Avandia: Strong Link to Heart Failure
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| July 5, 2007. By Jane Mundy |  RSS  Del.icio.us  Seed Newsvine  Facebook |
Coleman, TX: Gene Canales is a Vietnam Veteran and a diabetic. Three years ago, his doctor at the VA hospital prescribed Avandia, but now Canales is more worried about his heart than diabetes.
"They started me with 8mg but I started to get chest pains," says Canales. "I had a stress test and the doctor told me that I had an irregular heartbeat so he reduced the amount of Avandia to 4mg."
Next, Canales was sent to a cardiologist who prescribed him meds for the chest pains. "In September 2006, he sent me to another VA hospital, this time in San Antonio, and they did a cardiac catherization -- a look inside my heart. They told me that the little veins supplying the blood to the heart muscle on my left side were 90-99 percent clogged and not sending blood to the muscle. In other words, I have heart disease.
"They can't give me a by-pass because the condition of my heart won't handle it. Perhaps later, but an operation is riskier than my present condition.
When I saw the ad on television that people were having heart problems from taking Avandia, I realized that my chest pains started shortly after taking this drug. It seems coincidental and I think that Avandia may be linked to these heart issues. Maybe the diabetes caused my heart problems -- I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1993 -- but at that time, my heart was fine. I have to take a little nitro pill under my tongue for angina every day. On the bottle it says to take up to three pills but if the pain doesn't stop within 15 minutes, call 911.
I also called a lawyer."
The New England Journal of Medicine reported today (July 5, 2007) that data on Avandia's overall heart risks are "inconclusive", but researchers do report an association between Avandia and heart failure.
They reported that twice as many patients taking Avandia suffer heart failure than those taking other types of diabetes drugs. (GlaxoSmithKline, the Avandia manufacturer, has rebuked the findings.)
This report stems from a study sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline that involved more than 4,000 patients with type 2 diabetes over a six-year period.
Although the study shows no increased risk of heart attack or heart problems in those patients taking Avandia (half the group took a placebo), heart failure was 2.15 times more common in the Avandia group.
The report concludes that Avandia's effects on heart health are uncertain. In other words, seriously consider weighing the pros and cons when it comes to taking Avandia. George Canales had his Avandia prescription decreased to 2mg per day, down from 8mg. With a diagnosis of heart disease, why is he still taking this drug? There are other, safer options available. And legal help is also an option.
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If you or a family member have used Avandia and have suffered heart attack or liver damage after taking Avandia, please contact a lawyer involved in a possible [Avandia Lawsuit] who will review your case at no cost or obligation.
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