Avandia acces significantly restricted in the US by FDA

Have you lost a bunch of weight, Vicki? I was told that I should aim for 15 - 30g of carbs per meal. But I tend to eat a little less. I do not want to lose any weight if possible. Whch carbs do you eat? What can you recommend? I have yet to find one that doesn’t send my BS high and yet fills me up a little. Don’t like feeling hungry. Any advice? Tips?

the book The China Study shows evidence that the countries of the world with the least amount of Diabetes [China is one of them] eat high carb / low fat diets. The countries with the highest incidents of diabetes? USA, UK and The Netherlands. The author [Dr Campbell I think] promotes a diet of no animal proteins but plant based food only. I have not tried it yet.

It isn’t possible to be healthy on a plant only diet[vegan!] without supplements. Vegans tend to be short on Vit B12 and iron.
Whereas it was shown in 1926[as long ago as that] that you can live a healthy life on nothing but fatty meat[check out Stefansson and Andersson]
I have a vegan, non-diabetic, sister-in-law, who is ALWAYS sick, I know others like that too.
In addition, I would never believe figures that have come out of China, which purport to show Chinese healthcare is better than European. I simply don’t believe they have reliable data. In addition, China’s meat consumption is increasing fast as they get wealthier. There’s an awful lot of poverty in China. that affects what they can afford to eat.
Hana
Hana

The China Study has been discussed in great detail lately by Denise Minger (http://rawfoodsos.com/) as well as a wide range of others. I would not place a great deal of weight on Campbell’s spin on the data,by his own admission he sought to cherry pick data to support his “theory.” Analysis does however seem to suggest that there is a high correlation between wheat consumption and coronary heart disease.

Just goes to remind me that just because I read a weighty-looking book it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all accurate info!!! Thanks for the heads-up. I have noticed I have a tendency to red everything i qn get my hands on about nutrition and diabetes, but I seem to pull out of things what I really want to hear… rather than what may be tru. I think I rather fancied “curing” my type 11 with that diet!!!
BTW - heard about this guy, the Health Ranger? What do you know? He writes a good line, and swears he “cured” himself [people mean reversed or balanced out, don’t they?] with a great diet. Then I googled his name and all kinds of sites popped up calling him a dilitante.

Thanks for this… and I plan to look at that Bernstein book now!

Well, there is so much written and it all too often conflicts. Who do you believe. I think you have to become a “critical” reader. What do you think about “Health Ranger.” Some of his advice certainly makes sense, “avoid HFCS and sugar.” But he say “Take absolutely no prescription drugs or pharmaceuticals whatsoever.” And "No visits to M.D.s or western medical doctors."



I would encourage you to question all advice you are given, whether it comes from the “Health Ranger” or your family doctor.

I was present in Chicago when a debate was organized during ADA meet on 10th June 2007. Steven Nissen, the author of the Meta analysis had to speak against the drug, Rosiglitazone while Phyllips Home, GSK’s Medical advisor had to defend the product. That happened to be the last day of the ADA meet, still some 10,000 delegates had stayed on to be in the audience. Marshals had to clear the stairs which were occupied by the delagates as seats were full. Nissen revealed that even in its initial communication with FDA, GSK had accepted that Avandia could increase risk of MI by 31%. Mystery remains why FDA still approved the drug. GSK pretended that the figure was statistically insignificant because the study was smaller and had little power of statistics. Even the future trials conducted by GSK revealed almost similar fidings again with lesser statistical power. Unquestinably conduct of GSK was fishy and FDA seemed to be a partner. Even in 2010 when the drug has been banned in Europe, FDA has occupied a peculiar postion to restrict its usage in newly diagnosed cases while there is no evidence that the risks of he drug lessen with duration of therapy. All physicians should have enough sense to stop using this drug. Ihave never used this drug since 2007.

Liz I agree and have said for years T2s when having problems with pills insulin should be the next medication. My birth father in the 50s had problem with pills and dr. would put him on insulin temporarily and then put him back on pills when his bs was in control. Also I understand that it was believed some of those pills were not good for the heart and that was over 50 years ago.

How can you say that. The FDA is “User Fee” supported agency. This is not illegal, this is how the business is run. They know who their customers are and it is NOT you the patient. Doctors know full well how the system works and they are the ones who must deal with the forefront of the ethical conflict on whether to provide the good of the patient as their priority.

I don’t think we disagree. The FDA cannot be trusted to act in the best interests of the patient and it will take more than an Avandia or Vioxx to change things.

Thsis relationship between the FDA and the drug industry sounds completeyl fraudulent. why was thsi allowed ro happen.surely the relationship between the FDA should come under some kind of review because it is not making decisions in the interests of the consumer. you should write to your MP(member of parliment) and point this out.

The system is tottaly corrupt. democracy in all countries is a fraud eu countries and the usa, Thats why i never vote all the MPs (members of parliment are just paid off by big business they just let us vote con us into thinking we have a say. we dont.

I have finally been taken off avandia! Yayyy! I’ve been “discussing” this option for about a year with my Dr. At my last appt. she was still not fully up on all the information out there about it. As far as she was concerned it was working for me, (I have lost a good amount of weight) and thought the risks were minimal for me. I am still about 40 lbs. overweight and didn’t think I needed any help on the path to a stroke. I more or less insisted and she changed it. I had been taking it for almost ten years. I wonder though, has it already done damage?

hi wilson where are you from im from haringey north london
steve

I am also a Type 1 for 35 years and you are correct, low carbs are the necessary way to eat to maintain control. The past few years I have (almost) turned into a vegetarian. I eat Oatmeal for breakfast with strawberries & blue berries every morning. Lunch is the same every day, fresh organic salads with a mix of chopped veges, mostly greens and other good organic veges, some protein about 4 oz.from either turkey or rare cooked (grass fed) meat. For dinner I occasionly use frozen Kashi dinners (lowest carb versions.) After years of dealing with type 1 I changed Endocrinologist and with her guidance my A1c is 6.5 to 7. I work out in a gym 3 days per week, jog for 1/2 hour and lift weights for another 45 minutes. Oh yes, my 80th birthday was in September. I am more physically fit now then when I was younger. (One other thing, I meditate regularly which keeps my mind in a good place.) Dave

i think a great way too maintain control is regular walks. i do organised walks 3 days a week with a group of others, this is actually organised by my local nhs pct . (prirmary care trust ). Too many people dont do enough walking. they just jump in their cars get out at the office and sit down to do some office job every day. So its great if you can get in with an organised group that encouarge you.

I now integrate my walking into my errands. Yesterday, the bank, post office, parcels office and supermarket. took me about 3 hours on foot with a stop for coffee. total distance about 4 miles. Would it have taken so much less time in the car, with ffinding places to park?
I do live in a large town, so all facilities are within about 5 miles at most and generally I can get anything I need nearer than that. Today, [now 2 pm] and I’ve walked several miles again.ironically I’ve had to take the car to the gym, because I wanted to be there by 7:30 and it takes an hour to walk there. I’m not good at getting up before 6 :o)
All it’s cost me today is wet feet. I didn’t use my hiking boots and I should have
I find this an excellent way tokeep fit. Doesn’t take any weight off unfortunately.
Hana

I have already commented on this topic on 29th September. Still I am furnishing some more facts and figures regarding Avandia:-
• Avandia hit the market in 1999 and following a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign it quickly became a blockbuster drug. By 2006 its annual revenue was $3.2 billion.
• Sales fell to $1.2 billion in 2009 (loss of 2 billion $), two years after a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that linked Avandia to a 43 percent increased risk of heart attack and a 64 percent higher risk of cardiovascular death compared to patients treated with other methods.
• There were many articles and reviews published about Avandia following the New England Journal of Medicine study, but research from the Mayo Clinic revealed that 90 percent of scientists who wrote favorable articles about the drug had financial ties to Glaxo.
• In 1999, drug maker SmithKline Beecham began a study to compare Avandia with another diabetes drug, Actos. The results showed that Avandia worked no better than Actos and had greater risks to the heart.
• In documents uncovered by the New York Times, the company stated they could lose $600 million from 2002 to 2004 if Avandia’s heart risks were made public.
• The New York Times also obtained a sealed deposition that included testimony from Dr. Rosemary Johann-Liang, a former supervisor in the FDA’s drug safety office who “left the FDA after she was disciplined for recommending that Avandia’s heart warnings be strengthened.”
• GlaxoSmithKline not only hid negative study data, they also manipulated study data to fit their agenda.
• “An F.D.A. reviewer who closely examined a landmark Avandia clinical trial called “Record,” found at least a dozen instances in which patients taking Avandia suffered serious heart problems that were not counted in the trial’s tally of adverse events, mistakes that further obscured Avandia’s heart risks.”
• Hundreds of thousands of diabetics take Avandia every year, despite the fact that a two-year long Senate investigation released earlier this year found Avandia causes about 500 more heart attacks and 300 more cases of heart failure than Actos (Actos may also damage your heart – just “not as much”).
• The FDA also put the so-called TIDE Thiazolidinedione Intervention with Vit D Evaluation) trial – which was ordered by the FDA in 2007 to compare Avandia with Actos – on hold until they review the panel’s advice. While those already enrolled in the study can continue on, fortunately no one else will be able to sign up for the dangerous study – at least for now.
• GSK completed a study in 2003 in which diabetics given Avandia suffered far more heart problems than those given a placebo.

Thanks Manny & Tudiabetes…I live in Canada, so our drugs are always behind the US starting and being taken off the Market. So thanks for the heads up.I I’m presently on Advandia, just started taking it about 4 months ago. I have an appointment with my Dr next week, so I’ve emailed him the FDA articles on both Advandia & Actos, so I can discuss it with him at that time