There are several potential Avandia side effects. The FDA has issued a safety alert but has not issued a mandatory recall, citing insufficient evidence to justify a recall. Nevertheless, the manufacturer may be liable if these side effects are caused by a defect in the product. Personal injury attorneys can help determine liability. To learn more, read the information below. Also, contact a personal injury attorney if you have suffered an adverse reaction to Avandia.
Heart disease
Initially, the drug maker concluded that Avandia increased the risk of heart attacks by 31 percent. However, in 2013, the FDA conducted another analysis and determined that the findings were not statistically significant, and therefore, the drug makers did not have to make the product any safer. In 2013, the FDA lifted all restrictions on Avandia. However, lawsuits continue to follow the drug.
Avandia was prescribed millions of times. But in 2011 the New England Journal of Medicine published studies linking the drug to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. The drug was eventually pulled off the market and was only available by mail order after doctors warned their patients of its risks. Since then, heart disease lawsuits against Avandia are thriving across the country. Its side effects include an increased risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.
Stroke
Avandia has been linked to serious side effects, including macular edema. Macular edema is an inflammation of the retina caused by fluid accumulating behind the eye. Patients who take this drug may suffer blurred vision, reduced color sensitivity, and poorer adaptation to darkness. Fortunately, the drug maker has agreed to compensate former users with millions of dollars in compensation.
Many Avandia lawsuits allege that GlaxoSmithKline failed to warn the public and doctors about the risk of taking this medication. In many cases, the company hid important information about product safety issues and is therefore liable for the harm it caused to patients. However, these lawsuits can also result in financial compensation. Thousands of cases have been resolved by settlement or jury award.
Bone fractures
A recent study from Switzerland shows that the use of the diabetes drug Avandia may double or even triple the risk of bone fracture after a year. The study compared the rates of fractures among patients with Actos and Avandia compared to those of matched, untreated patients. The researchers found that the risk of fractures was greater in women who took the drug for 12 months or less than two years than in those who had the disease for longer than a year.
The risk of bone fractures was increased in seven patients whose diabetes had been treated with Avandia. One of the reasons may be that diabetic patients are more prone to falls. However, the significance of the increased rate of fractures is unclear, since all but one of these fractures occurred at the hip, where the risk of an insufficiency fracture is lower.
Hepatitis
Avandia has been linked to serious heart and liver problems, as well as an increased risk of pregnancy. The drug has recently been limited to patients with Type 2 diabetes, although it remains a popular prescription drug. Since it was approved by the FDA in 1999, the drug has gone from a top-selling medication to a disgrace. The company has also set aside billions of dollars in lawsuit settlements, mostly involving cardiovascular adverse reactions. The drug can also lead to liver injury and damage, which may even require liver transplantation.
Although these side effects are rare, you should consult your doctor before taking Avandia. It is important to understand that the drug may cause liver and allergic reactions, as well as serious bleeding problems. Avandia should not be taken with alcohol, as it could worsen any side effects you are already experiencing. You should also talk with your doctor if you notice any new symptoms. It is important to know that the side effects of any drug should be reported to the FDA.
Heart attack risk
A study in 2007 published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked Avandia to an increased risk of a heart attack. It also suggested that the drug increased the risk of cardiovascular death by up to 64 percent. The study was so alarming that the FDA asked the manufacturer to place a black-box warning on the drug. A few months later, the company provided this underlying data to the government. It remains unclear what will happen to Avandia, which has been on the market since 2007.
Despite the warnings, the drug remains a blockbuster. The drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, had known about the risks for years but sought to hide them from the public. In the report, senators criticized the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates medicines and foods. But the company says that seven clinical trials have shown that the drug does not increase the risk of heart attacks.
Death risk
A study published in the British Medical Journal found that taking Avandia increased the risk of heart attacks and heart failure by almost 40 percent. But this was only one of the results. Other studies have found the same results. Researchers at Cleveland Clinic reviewed more than 40 studies to find the drug increased the risk of death, stroke, and heart attack by a much greater percentage than Actos. The findings are not surprising considering the drug’s high price tag.
Several other studies have suggested the drug increases the risk of heart failure and heart attacks in older people. The latest study examined federal health records and linked Avandia to dozens of deaths and heart attacks. The findings come just two weeks before an FDA hearing on the safety of Avandia. FDA scientist Dr. David Graham wants the drug banned. He has previously said that Avandia increases the risk of heart failure and heart attack in older adults.
