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The dangerous diabetes drug...
8th June 2007
I think I'm going to start a campaign to get blood pressure warnings attached to every daily newspaper...
Something like 'Warning: May make your blood boil' or 'Do not read while eating cornflakes or you are likely to splutter them all over the kitchen table'.
Because yet again the Collins household was subjected to me ranting and raving over an article I read in The Times this week.
In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Lara is bidding for a tranquiliser gun on eBay as we speak in readiness for tomorrow's delivery by the paper boy.
One quick shot and I'd slump face first into my breakfast, sleepily muttering that natural sedatives are much better and safer than man-made ones, before leaving the family to eat in peace.
So what got me so riled this time...?
Never mind the side-effects, here's the profit
It comes to something when a doctor says he's so worried about the hidden side-effects of a prescription drug that he's unable to sleep...
Yet that's exactly what happened to Dr Steven Nissen a couple of weeks ago.
According to an article in The Times he felt sick and sleep was near impossible... all because he'd discovered something that could be killing people in droves.
And surprise surprise, this 'something' has been rubber-stamped by the authorities and is happily being dished out to patients every single day.
The drug in question is called Avandia, produced by GlaxoSmithKline. It's used by millions of people suffering from diabetes to help control their blood sugar.
And last year alone it raked in $3billion for GSK.
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So everyone's happy right?
The drugs fat cats can happily roll around in their money, while a huge number of patients can help control one of the biggest diseases in modern times.
Ahhhh... if only life was that simple....
A pesky little side-effect called death
Here's the study that Dr Nissen published last week...
When he analysed 42 clinical trials of Avandia, it suggested that users of this drug had a 43% increase in the risk of heart attack.
Think that's a big number...?
Well, the study also indicated that the drug could lead to a 64% increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular causes linked to the drug.
Can you believe that?
I mean common side effects are usually things like nausea, headaches, rashes...
But death?
That's some side effect.
As Dr Nissen said, 'When you see a signal this strong, I was truly frightened on behalf of our patients. I moved as quickly as humanly possible to publish the data.'
So what do you think the reaction from GSK has been...?
'Oh my God. This is terrible news. We'll withdraw it straight away!'
Or...
'I don't know what all the fuss is about. Everything's just fine.'
I think you've guessed right.
In fact GSK and other drugs giants have done their best to rubbish these findings. And can you blame them? There's a lot of Christmas bonuses at stake here! Come on... have a heart...
Actually, to be fair to them (I know I know, it's hard...) other medical experts think it's too early to completely condemn the drug, citing the size of the study as being too small.
But Dr Nissen's opinion carries a lot of clout. He's the cardiology chief of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and one of the most respected medical researchers in the US.
And more importantly, he was one of the first people to find the link between the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx, and an increased risk of heart attacks.
So I know who I'd rather listen to.
In the meantime, here's a run down of powerful natural remedies that could help fight diabetes... |
How the Scandinavian Goddess of beauty and youth can help you
- Vanadium is named after the Scandinavian goddess of beauty and youth. I guess she must have had great teeth, because this mineral is a vital ingredient in bones and teeth.
Not only that, it's known to help regulate glucose production. It sort of acts like insulin, and its presence seems to boost the effects of insulin, which is why this this substance is causing such a stir in diabetes research circles. Vanadium is found in include skimmed milk, lobster, vegetables, vegetable oils, butter, and cheese.
- Bitter Melon is known as 'plant insulin'... that gives you some idea of just how powerful this strange looking fruit is. Studies suggest that Bitter Melon could help control the production of insulin, with the knock on effect of controlling blood sugar.
- A great excuse for a curry! To be honest, I don't really need much of an excuse to have a curry... but research show that a major ingredient in Indian cooking - the curry leaf - may help control diabetes. Apparently tests suggest the leaves may contain substances that could prevent starch from being converted to glucose, which would mean less sugars in the bloodstream.
- Cut out the rubbish! If you're eating white processed bread, refined flour, and sweets - then cut down on your intake. Who am I to tell you to stop eating sweet when I have a half eaten Kit Kat sitting on my desk? But limit the amount of sweets you eat so they turn into an occasional treat rather than an everyday snack. And make the switch from white bread to wholemeal.
Okay, that's me done for the day.
I knew I shouldn't have mentioned the Kit Kat. Now it's just staring up at me, whispering to me, begging me to eat it....
I'll be back on Sunday - unless Lara's eBay purchase comes through by then!
Until then,
Yours as ever,
Ray Collins |
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