Actos in new cancer link
Since the explosion of the Avandia scandal, there's been a massive rush to switch diabetics over to Actos, the other major diabetes drug.
But the "other" drug comes with "other" risks -- and a new report shows again how there's just no such thing as a safe diabetes med.
When researchers tracked more than half a million diabetes drug reactions reported to the FDA between 2004 and 2009, they found 138 cases of bladder cancer among patients who took one or more of 15 different meds.
Actos was just one of those 15 meds... but it was linked to more than a fifth of the reports, according to the study in Diabetes Care.
Now, I know that 20 percent of 138 cases of bladder cancer over 5 years doesn't sound like a lot... and it's probably not going to scare anyone away from Actos.
But it's not the first time we've seen a link between Actos and bladder cancer.
- Last year, data from the midpoint of a 10-year trial found that patients who took the highest doses of Actos, and those who took the drug for the longest periods had an increased risk of bladder cancer.
- Two earlier studies -- both three-year clinical trials -- found a higher risk of bladder cancer in Actos patients.
- A study on rats found bladder tumors in males that were given the rodent equivalent of a human dose.
And if you're still not scared, consider this: Actos has been linked to its own Avandia-style heart risks.
In one study, Actos patients actually suffered more heart attacks than patients who took Avandia -- and both drugs had similar rates of heart failure and death.
Despite these and other risks, the mainstream isn't just switching former Avandia patients over to Actos -- they're actually trying to get people who don't even have diabetes to take it.
As I told you recently, the drug's manufacturer has been touting a company-funded study that claims Actos can prevent diabetes in prediabetics -- despite the fact that the study was way too short to reach any such conclusion.
There's really only one thing you need to know here, whether you're trying to control diabetes or just trying to avoid it: lifestyle changes will beat drugs -- and they'll beat them every single time.
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Edward Martin writes House Calls, a daily letter chronicling the most cutting-edge alternative methods for beating diabetes and cancer, to the latest FDA foul-ups and Big Pharma conspiracies.
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Comments
JD
My Doctor haqd me on both Avandia & Actos. Once I was aware of the black box warning on these meds I took myself off these meds. There was no difference in my blood sugar as I test it daily. Once I made my Doctor aware of the FDA black box warning he understood. I don't beleive the medical community is aware of the FDA warnings or they just ignore them.
I am currently on a 4 chinese herb formular called ELEUTIN. I have been in this for 2 months and it has reduced my sugar level by 2oo points. I have another 2 months to go on this. I will keep you all informed. This process does not treat the illness it reverses it. JD
cb
I have been looking for natural herbs to take instead of the drugs. I was taking Glucophage and Glipizide (which makes me ill and congested and bloated).
I would like to know where you purchased the Eleutin.
Can I get it in a health food store?
Lori
JD makes some really important points. I think many doctors are too busy with the volume of patients they have to keep current on FDA warnings or on research presented in their journals. I had a conversation just yesterday with a cardiologist who has never heard of vitamin K2 and it's role in artery health. Another point is that chinese medicine gets to the core of a health issue and does not just treat symptoms. Our rescued boxer that I've written about is being treated with chinese medicine and accupuncture. Remarkable changes. Please JD, do keep us informed.
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