WHAT DIABETICS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AVANDIA

In order to stay up-to-date with the latest news and opinion about the brewing scandal surrounding diabetes drug Avandia, many people are turning to the blogosphere.

Science Blog provides some of the details surrounding the controversy “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is aware of a potential safety issue related to Avandia (rosiglitazone), a drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes,” the author of the post also adds that, “safety data from controlled clinical trials have shown that there is a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia”

The Schwitzer HealthNews Blog, well-respected for its insightful opinions, boldly asks “Is Avandia the heart risk sequel to Vioxx?” The article's author also gives some background on the reason for the controversy by stating that the controversy stems from a “New England Journal of Medicine article by Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic showing that the heavily marketed diabetes drug Avandia from GlaxoSmithKline increases heart attack risk in the millions of patients who have taken it.”

The effect is also being felt on Wall Street.

Zacks Investment Research, a highly-trafficked blog known for its equity research and analysis, published a post about an hour before the final bell. The post's author stated that “with new concerns being published regarding the possible risks of one of its key drugs, big-pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline has been lowered from a Buy to a Hold by Zacks senior pharmaceuticals analyst Jason Napodano, CFA.”

Respected for its professional medical opinion, Whitecoat Notes commented that “Avandia, the world's top-selling oral diabetes drug, significantly increases the risk of heart attacks, a prominent cardiologist said in an article that the New England Journal of Medicine deemed important enough to post on its website yesterday.” The author of the article also offers some medical advice for any diabetics currently taking Avandia, “Patients taking Avandia should not abruptly stop the drug, the FDA said. Instead, they should meet with their doctors to discuss their risk of a heart attack and how well their diabetes is controlled, according to Dr. Larry C. Deeb, president of medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association.

A wide-ranging controversy such as this one makes its presence felt in a variety of different industries. One of the best ways to stay informed on such a polarizing issue is to read about it for yourself through the broad-based world of blogs.

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