Diabetes Drug Avandia May Be Linked to Heart Attacks
Alabama residents and consumers should be aware of the recent studies linking Avandia to heart attacks. Republican Senator Charles Grassley stated last year on the senate floor that Avandia may be linked to more than 100,000 heart attacks. There are several articles out discussing this issue including, "Diabetes Drug Avandia: Heart Risk?" on the MediceNet.com website and a Foxnews.com story, "Study: Avandia Raises Risk of Heart Attack."
Avandia is a drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline and used to treat Type 2 diabetes. The drug was approved in 1999 by the FDA to help reduce blood-sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However, shortly after its release, one researcher, Bruce M. Psaty, MD, PhD criticized the drug noting that there was little evidence to support use of the drug.
While GlaxoSmithKline strongly denies the report and says that further study needs to be done, the short term study performed by Dr. Steven Nissen and Kathy Wolski, MPH, indicated "that Avandia increases heart attack risk by 43%-- and increases risk of death from heart disease by 64%."
If you have taken this drug and suffered a heart attack or any other cardiovascular problems, there may be a link. You should contact an attorney to evaluate your claim.
