Potential Problems for Diabetics Using Avandia and Actos

Since Avandia hit the market as an oral medicine suitable for treating Diabetes, the drug has been under fire for being suspected of causing a wide spectrum of medical problems for its users. Just this month, it was announced that Avandia and Actos (another medication in the TZD family used to treat Diabetes) can both cause bone density loss, increasing the risk of bone fractures by 42%.

According to research, Avandia and Actos can cause bone density loss in as little as six months. Avandia and Actos users: beware.

What is bone density loss?

Bone density loss is the loss of mineral content in the bones. When you have bones with high density of minerals, they are healthier and stronger than bones with less mineral content. Weak bones not only break more easily, but people with weak bones are more prone to developing osteoporosis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Women are twice as likely to fracture bones than men are and women experiencing menopause are especially at risk for bone fractures. The most commonly fractured bones are bones in the wrists, hands, legs, and ankles, according to ImTypeFree.

How do Avandia and Actos impact bone density?

Avandia and Actos appear to prevent bone formation. Bones are organic matter that continually develop new cells and materials to replaced old and damaged materials. When new bone cannot be formed, the old bone cannot be replaced. Therefore, the only bone that is present is the old and damaged bone. Old and damaged bone is unhealthy and more prone to breakage than new bone.

Other problems with Avandia

Bone density loss is not the only reported problem with Avandia. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that new information will be added to Avandia packaging to alert Avandia users to the potential increased risk for heart attacks. Data about the increased risk of heart attacks is inconclusive, which is why Avandia is allowed to stay on the market.

However, there is currently a new long-term test being done to evaluate the potential link between Avandia and an increased risk in developing cardiovascular disease. Diabetics are already at risk for developing heart disease, a problem that could be exacerbated by Avandia usage. (source: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm049058.htm)

Individuals taking Avandia or Actos should consult their physicians in order to learn as much as possible about the potentially negative side effects associated with the drug. Diabetics may wish to investigate alternative treatments and other drug options in lieu of the potential risks of taking Avandia or Actos.

Resources:
http://www.imtypefree.com/Avandia-and-Actos-Bone-Breakers.html
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm049058.htm
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2007/ucm108917.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bone-density-test/MY00304/DSECTION=why-its-done