Avandia does not raise CV risk relative to other antidiabetics, but questions remain

A large study of Avandia (rosiglitazone), sponsored by UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline in a bid to dispel safety concerns surrounding its  drug, has shown that it did not cause a higher rate of cardiovascular  hospitalization or death than other type 2 diabetes drugs.

However, some doctors suggest that a high drop-out rate and a  lower-than-expected number of total cardiac events make it difficult to  draw firm conclusions from the results of the 4,447-patient RECORD  study.

In the randomized, controlled trial initiated in 2001, 321 people in the  rosiglitazone group and 323 in the active control arm experienced death  or hospitalization through CV events during a mean 5.5-year follow-up,  meeting the criterion of non-inferiority.