Dec 23, 2005

Health Canada Issues Warning For Avandia and Avandamet

Health Canada is issuing warnings for two commonly used drugs to treat Type-2 diabetes. The warning states that use of these drugs may lead to new cases or worsening of a vision problem called macular edema.

Macular edema is swelling of the retina because of fluid at the back of the eye. It is more likely to occur in people with high blood pressure, poor control of their blood sugar levels or diabetic retinopathy, which is a disease of retina disease caused by diabetes.

Symptoms of macular edema include:

• Blurred or distorted vision.
• Decreased colour sensitivity.
• Poorer adaptation to the dark.

People taking the drugs also had fluid retention, swelling of the extremities and weight gain.

Patients taking the tablets should not stop doing so without checking with a doctor, since an increase in blood-sugar levels could cause medical problems, the company's public advisory said.

Those diagnosed with macular edema or diabetic retinopathy should see a doctor. Regular eye checkups should be part of a comprehensive diabetes management plan, said the public advisory, which was endorsed by the regulator.

"In some cases, the visual impairment was reported to have improved or resolved following discontinuation of Avandia or Avandamet," GlaxoSmithKline said in a letter to health professionals posted on Health Canada's drug and health products website.

The letter warns doctors that both drugs "should be used with caution in patients with a pre-existing diagnosis of macular edema or diabetic retinopathy."


JoAnn      

Do You Read All Of Our Cancer Blogs?

Do you read all of the blogs published by medicineworld.org? Many of our bloggers are busy keeping you updated on the various health related topics. We publish the following blogs at this time.

Cancer blog: I manage the cancer blog with lots of help and support form other bloggers. Through this cancer blog my friends and I try to bring stories of hope for patients with cancer. The cancer blog often republishes important blog posts from other cancer related blogs at Medicineworld.org. If you are searching for a blog that covers wide variety of cancer topics, this may be the one for you.

Breast cancer blog: Breast cancer blog is run by Emily and other bloggers and they bring you the latest stories, news and events that are related to breast cancer. Increasing awareness about breast cancer among women and in the general population is the main goal of this breast cancer blog.

Lung cancer blog: Lung cancer blog is managed by Scott with the help of other bloggers. Through this blog Scott and his friends constantly remind the readers about the dangers of smoking. It's a never-ending struggle against this miserable disease with which a social stigma of smoking is associated.

Colon cancer blog: Colon cancer blog is run by Sue and other bloggers. Sue brings a personal touch to the colon cancer blog since her mother died of colon cancer few years ago. She writes about stories, research news and advances in treatment related to colon cancer.

Prostate cancer blog: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. American Cancer Society estimates that over 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer occur in the United state every year. This important blog about prostate cancer is run by Mark and other bloggers. This blog brings news, stories, and other personal observations related to prostate cancer.

Medicineworld.org publishes a diabetes watch blog and this blog is run by JoAnn other bloggers. This diabetes watch blog brings you the latest in the field of diabetes. This includes personal stories, advances in diagnosis and treatment, and other observations about diabetes. Improving awareness about diabetes is an important mission of this group.

Janet      

Type-2 Diabetes
Type-2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90% of cases diabetes. This disease affects nearly 17 million Americans and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Even though 17 million Americans have type-2 diabetes only half of these people are aware that they have diabetes. The death rate in patients with diabetes may be up to 11 times higher than in persons without the disease. The occurrence of diabetes in persons 45 to 64 years of age is 7 percent, but the proportion increases significantly in persons 65 years of age or older. Type-2 diabetes accounts for more than 90% of all diabetes worldwide.