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By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) — British researchers reportthat thiazolidinediones, diabetes medications that are used to helpcontrol blood sugar levels, may cause eye problems in those whotake them. The drugs that fall into this group include Avandia and Actos,which have been tied to increased risk of heart attack in the caseof Avandia and bladder cancer in the case of Actos. Now it ispossible that these drugs may also cause diabetic macular edema,the study authors said. "Patients who received a thiazolidinedione were at two- tothree-fold increased risk of developing macular edema," saidlead researcher Dr. Iskandar Idris, an associate professor indiabetes medicine at the University of Nottingham. However, the risk of macular edema is very small, about 0.2percent, so the increased relative risk translates into an absoluterisk of less than 1 percent. "More aggressive management of risk factors for macular edemashould be implemented in patients who take thiazolidinedione. Inaddition, routine screening for visual acuity should be performedduring routine diabetes review, especially for patients who takethiazolidinediones," he added. The report was published in the June 11 online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine. For the study, Idris' team collected data on more than100,000 people with type 2 diabetes included in the British HealthImprovement Network database. At the start of the study, none of these patients suffered fromdiabetic macular edema, the researchers noted. After one year, 1.3 percent of patients taking thiazolidinedionedeveloped diabetic macular edema, compared with 0.2 percent ofthose not taking these drugs, Idris' group found. The association was seen whether patients were taking Actos(pioglitazone) or Avandia (rosiglitazone), they added. Macular edema is a swelling of the part or the eye called themacula, which is responsible for sharp vision when looking straightahead. Swelling occurs when fluid leaks into the center of the macula,blurring vision. About 20 percent of people with diabetes have thisproblem, the researchers noted. For people taking these drugs there are alternatives thateffectively lower blood sugar, such as metformin and insulin. Dr. Sonal Singh, an assistant professor of medicine at JohnsHopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, and co-authorof an accompanying journal editorial, said that "the majorlimitation of this study is the inability to completely separateout whether the effect of these drugs on macular edema is due tothe drug or the underlying disease — diabetes." However, the study adds more weight to the concern that Avandia andActos may cause fluid buildup behind the eyes, he said. "Clinicians and patients need to balance the benefits ofthese drugs on lowering blood sugar against their risks,"Singh said. "Despite this uncertainty, patients with diabetesshould seek prompt referral to an eye doctor if patients experiencevisual symptoms while taking Avandia or Actos." More information For more on hypertension, visit the American Diabetes Association . SOURCES: Iskandar Idris, M.D., associate professor, diabetesmedicine, University of Nottingham, U.K.; Sonal Singh, M.D.,M.P.H., assistant professor, medicine, Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool of Medicine, Baltimore; June 11, 2012, Archives of Internal Medicine , online Last Updated: June 11, 2012 Copyright 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. I am an expert from switching-poweradapters.com, while we provides the quality product, such as AC DC Battery Charger Manufacturer , Universal AC DC Adapters, Universal AC Power Adapter,and more.
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