A commonly used diabetes maintenance drug increases the risk of heart attack, according to a study being published in the New England Journal of Medicine....
The study found
that Avandia increases the risk of heart attack by 43 percent and may increase the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by 64 percent. Avandia is taken by an estimated 1 million Americans to control Type 2 diabetes, the most common form and the most prevalent among Native Americans.
The study was based on data from 42 studies on the drug. Of more than 27,843 patients, 68 who took the drug died of a heart attack compared to 72 who didn't. Thirty-nine patients taking the drug died of cardiovascular causes, compared with 22 who weren't on the drug.
Get the Story:Diabetes Drug Found to Raise Heart Attack Risk (The Washinton Post 5/22)
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Heart risk feared from best-selling oral drug for diabetes (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 5/22) Relevant Links:
National Indian Health Board - http://www.nihb.org
National Diabetes Program, Indian Health Service - http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Diabetes/index.asp Related Stories:
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