Avandia and Heart Attacks

A recent study has suggested that people taking Avandia were 43 percent more likely to have a heart attack, compared to people taking other diabetes drugs or a sugar pill. However, this study was a compilation of several small studies and when this is done, even a small difference can seem large. Avandia may increase the risk of heart attacks because it can increase cholesterol and cause weight gain. However, more research is needed to fully understand the risks associated with Avandia. Until then, do not stop taking Avandia without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

An Overview of Avandia and Heart Attacks

A recent study suggested that Avandia® (rosiglitazone maleate) may increase the risk of heart attacks. Avandia is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. It is part of a group of diabetes medications called thiazolidinediones (or sometimes called "glitazones").
 

What Does the Research Say About Avandia and Heart Attacks?

The study that sparked the concern about heart attacks with Avandia was published online in The New England Journal of Medicine on May 21, 2007.
 The study is actually a "meta analysis," which simply means that the results of several previous studies were compiled into one big study, using statistical techniques. It combined several studies that compared Avandia to various other diabetes drugs or to a placebo (a "sugar pill").
 
This study reported that people taking Avandia were 43 percent more likely to have a heart attack, compared to people taking other diabetes medicines or a placebo. Although many news reports and Web sites are reporting that this study also suggested that there was an increased risk of death due to heart problems, the study does not support this conclusion. The study showed that the difference between Avandia and the other medications in term of death due to heart problems could be due to chance alone (that it was not a statistically significant difference).
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
 
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