Diabetes Drug Avandia: Heart Risk?
Avandia Safe, GlaxoSmithKline Says
GlaxoSmithKline has done its own analysis of Avandia's heart safety data. Using techniques similar to those used in the Nissen study, the GSK study showed about a 30% increase in heart risk to patients taking Avandia.
But a study of 33,000 patients in a managed-care database showed no increased heart risk in patients taking Avandia. Both this study and the GSK analysis were given to the FDA in August 2006.
Ongoing, long-term studies also support Avandia safety, says GSK chief medical officer Ronald Krall, MD.
"I want to be very clear that we are confident in the benefit/risk profile for Avandia. We believe that if it is used according to the directions incorporated into U.S. and European labels, it is an important treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes," Krall says in a news release. "We believe that important evidence coming from long-term studies supports the safety of Avandia."
- Are you taking Avandia?Are you concerned about your heart? Discuss this important diabetes development in the WebMD Diabetes community.
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Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
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Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
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