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SINGAPORE’S Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is reviewing the benefits and risks associated with using Avandia, the most popular drug used in the treatment of diabetes here.
A spokesman for the agency said it has been closely monitoring developments related to the drug in the United States.
She said that while Avandia cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor to heart attacks and other diseases among diabetics, it is also difficult to determine if its use increases a patient’s risk of getting such illnesses.
HSA has said in the past that it has received isolated reports of non-fatal heart attacks linked to Avandia, but added that it could not confirm the causal link.
“Diabetic patients are usually on multiple medications and are also predisposed to an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders (including heart disease) due to their underlying condition,” its spokesman said.
In the meantime, HSA is advising patients who are prescribed the drug to continue taking it unless their doctors say otherwise.
They should consult their doctors if they have any concerns, it added. Avandia, manufactured by GlaxoSmith-Kline, is the trade name for the drug rosiglitazone. It has been licensed for use here since 2000 for blood sugar control in patients with adult-onset diabetes (type 2 diabetes).
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