Warning: Diabetes Drugs Could Increase Risk of Heart Attack

Evidence is growing that seems to suggest that some types of diabetes drugs can be damaging to your health. The very drugs that are supposed to protect the wellness and wellbeing of type 2 diabetes sufferers could actually put them at increased risk of suffering from a heart attack.

Diabetes is becoming somewhat of an epidemic, especially in countries like the United States. Experts believe that this may be due to the fact that many people have quite sedentary lifestyles now, and follow a diet that is high in fat and calories. According to a recent study, more than one in eight people living in New York suffers from diabetes. It is also on the rise in children, something that was virtually unheard of just 20 years ago. This diabetes epidemic could actually lower the life expectancy of the nation, and there are an estimated 21 million people suffering from diabetes in the US, with a further 41 million people at risk of developing diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to create or use the hormone insulin in order to regulate their blood glucose levels. This can lead to severe side effects such as stroke, heart disease and blindness.

Now, to complicate things even further, a recent study has shown that a drug that is widely used to treat diabetes may put the patient at increased risk of suffering from a heart attack and even death. The drug is called Avandia and Avandamet and has been on the market for around eight years, with around six million people currently taking the drug.

Studies on almost 28,000 patients showed that the drug was linked to a 43 percent increase in the risk of having a heart attack, compared to those who took no diabetes medication, or even a different type.

 

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