New findings from Wake Forest University warn against the potential risk of increased fractures in women who take the diabetic drugs Actos (Takeda Pharmaceuticals) and Avandia (Glaxo Smith Kline), which help to lower blood sugar. Research results showed that the use of these two medications significantly increased the risk of fractures among women (men were not affected) with type 2 diabetes, and was associated with decreased bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and the hip. In fact, the risk of hip fractures in women nearly doubled. As of 2006, there were nearly 2 million women in the US taking these drugs.
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Tags: actos, avandia, diabetes, fracture, risk, thiazolidinedione, tzd
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.