http://www.diabetes.org/diabetesnewsarticle.jsp?storyId=18858550&filename=20081112/ap20081112aponlineallD94DKKOO1newsa****ganpaewEDIT.xml
or
http://tinyurl.com/6pfka7
NEW ORLEANS - The controversial diabetes pill Avandia failed to
significantly slow plaque buildup in heart arteries compared with an
older drug, though there were some hopeful signs in a new study
re****ted Wednesday.
Avandia, once a blockbuster drug made by British-based GlaxoSmithKline
PLC, has been under a cloud since May 2007, when a medical journal
re****t suggested it may raise the risk of heart attacks and heart-
related deaths. The American Diabetes Association recently said
patients should avoid using it until safety questions are resolved.
The new study tested Avandia against glipizide, sold as Glucotrol by
Pfizer Inc. and in generic form, in 672 people in 19 countries. All
had Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease and the one
linked to obesity. All were at high risk for heart problems and many
were very overweight.
Doctors measured the thickness of plaque starting to form in a heart
artery of each participant at the start of the study and 18 months
later. Those on Avandia had a slight reduction in buildup versus a
little increase in those on glipizide, but the difference was so small
that the results were a statistical draw.
