what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

A new study has raised more red flags about Avandia, a widely-used drug for patients with Type 2 diabetes, finding it carries a higher risk of heart failure and death than a similar drug.

The research is prompting some researchers to say Avandia should no longer be prescribed...

The original article can be found at: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090818/avandia_090818/20090818?hub=Health

how did it rate? (more information)

what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Intermediate or surrogate endpoints are commonly used to approve new drugs. Sometimes the use of these endpoints is valid but the study cited in this story shows that there is also a leap of faith involved in this treatment choice- consequently, that leap of faith may lead to significant harm.

Although these drugs are prescribed to individuals of varying ages, t is important to note that this study only looked at people aged 65 and older. Although not the focus of this study, it is possible that there may be other patient groups who are at risk of heart failure due to these drugs.

Overall, the article presented a fairly well-balanced picture of the risks for the select patient groups. The bottom line is that unless a new drug provides a major advance (compared to what was previously available), it would be wise to wait a while before using it.

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