Diabetes Pill Increases Heart Risk

New findings by the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio indicate that a widely used diabetes pill raises the risk of heart attack and possibly death. Sold as Avandia and Avandmet, the popular drug came on the market 8 years ago and is used to control blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes. More than 6 million people worldwide have taken the drug and about one million Americans are current users.

Pooling results from dozens of studies involving 28,000 people, the study indicates that people taking the drug have a 43% higher risk of heart attack than those taking other diabetes medications. The results are particularly disturbing in that two-thirds of diabetics die of heart problems.

If you are currently taking Avandia or Avandmet, talk to your doctor. The actual risk to a single patient appears to be small. You should not stop taking a medication without your doctor's knowledge and consent.