Diabetes affects approximately 20 million Americans and is a disease that prevents the body from producing sufficient insulin and it also effects the efficiency with which the body uses insulin that it does create. There are 2 main types of Diabetes, Type 1 diabetes, otherwise known as juvenile diabetes, which is usually diagnosed when a person is a child or adolescent. The other type of Diabetes is Type 2, or adult onset diabetes, and it is typically diagnosed later in life. While Type 1 diabetes is not specifically prevalent in any group of Americans, Type 2 diabetes is seen more often in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as in the elderly.
Diabetes can be treated by several methods, the most common of which are injections of insulin or the use of a diabetic infusion set to regulate the amount of insulin in the body. Insulin is created by the pancreas and is integral in processing sugars into energy. By not processing sugars properly, the body can suffer from several life threatening conditions including hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis and celiac disease.
The Avandia diabetes medication, created by GlaxoSmithKline is in a newer class of diabetes drugs called, thiazolidinedione which increase the body's sensitivity to insulin and it is primarily used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in which the body has trouble efficiently using the insulin produced by the body. Avandia was approved by the FDA on May 25, 1999. It is estimated the more than 6 million people have been prescribed Avandia and are taking or have taken Avandia.
The American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association have issued strong recommendations to help guide the use of Avandia because of Avandia side effects in diabetics with mild heart disease or any other cardiovascular issues or problems with their kidneys may suffer from an increased risk of congestive heart failure development.
In a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in 2003, six cases of congestive heart failure were linked to Avandia. These six men, all of whom suffered from Type 2 Diabetes complained of shortness of breath, edema in their feet and sudden weight gain. All of these problems are symptomatic of congestive heart failure and its related condition, pulmonary edema. The edema is caused by the hearts inability to pump enough blood throughout the body. Without adequate circulation fluid often builds up in the lungs. Additionally, 4 of the 6 men suffered from inadequate kidney function and 2 had prior issues with heart disease. 4 of the six also suffered from high blood pressure. All of these indications have led the Mayo Clinic and The American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association to warn diabetics with heart and kidney issues to consider the risks of taking Avandia carefully.
The FDA and GlaxoSmithKline also released findings on January 5, 2006 that some Avandia patients have reported blurry vision and edema of the feet and legs. More than 6 million people worldwide have been prescribed Avandia. Additionally, GlaxoSmithKline reported that they have received some very rare reports of macular edema in diabetic patients who took Avandia. The swelling of the retina can cause blurry or distorted vision and is a frightening Avandia side effect.