Heart Attack Effects

Over the years there have been many different drugs developed to help patients with type 2 diabetes keep their blood sugar levels under control without having to resort to daily doses of insulin. In 1999 Glaxo introduced the drug Avandia into the medical community for use with patients. By 2007 there were over 6 million people using it to treat their diabetes, no one considered the effects on heart attacks and other coronary problems the drug had and the manufacturer downplayed them as insignificant. In May of 2007 the New England Journal of Medicine published an article that stated that there was definite proof that there was a significant risk of coronary problems and the biggest effects are heart attack and coronary artery problems.

At this time the FDA decided to issue a public notice and recommend that those patients who were taking Avandia should consult their physicians regarding the increased risk of heart attacks and have a full medical checkup to make sure they were not at risk, since the percentages showed that there was an increased risk of heart attack by some 43%. After the Journal released their article about the increased risk of heart attack, the effects at GlaxoSmithKline were for them to counter the information with a news release of their own that defending both Avandia and themselves. In this release they challenged the results of the studies done by the New England Journal of Medicine by stating that the drug had not been in use long enough by patients with type 2 diabetes to be able to draw a reasonable and accurate conclusion.

However the Journal was not the first place to notify the FDA about Avandia and the effects it had on heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. In 2000 a Dr. John Buse who was the Chief of Endocrinology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill sent a letter to the FDA that tried to bring their attention to the "worrisome trend in cardiovascular deaths and severe adverse events" that patients taking Avandia were already starting to show. The FDA then notified the manufacturer that they had not been accurate in describing the drugs side effects, and that heart attack and other cardiovascular problems had not been adequately presented when the medication was approved and that they needed to notify doctors about these risks.

However the drug continued to be prescribed all around the world. In May of 2007 the FDA issued a Safety Alert regarding Avandia, followed in November of the same year with a Black Box Warning regarding the increased risk of heart attacks and other cardio vascular problems including chest pains. If you or someone you love has suffered the cardiovascular effects or a heart attack while using Avandia you have the right to be compensated. The Avandia Lawyer is there to help you with news and information as well providing you with full legal counsel to make sure that you are properly compensated for pain, suffering and loss.