Study Shows Certain Diabetes Drugs Make Bones Brittle

Diabetes drug Avandia is making the news again. Scientists have found that Avandia and Actos, another popular drug for diabetes, cause bones to become brittle. This is especially true for older women who are at greater risk for osteoporosis.

The study is a result of data collected from a managed care database about patients that already have diabetes and have been admitted for treatment for fractures. The conclusions were very obvious. People that had type 2 diabetes and were taking these two drugs had a higher incidence of fractures. The numbers were even higher for women over 50.

Avandia and Actos are part of a drug class known as TZD’s.

What researchers found curious was that fractures in men over 50 only seemed to happen when the men were taking the TZD medication and a loop diuretic. The fractures were less noticeable in men who did not take the diuretic.

The fractures found in both the men and women were not typical osteoporosis fractures. Osteoporosis often causes fractures in the hip and back area. These fractures were found in legs, arms and hands. Doctors believe the TZD medicine actually prevents bone formation, causing the bones to become brittle. A wider research group will be used for the next set of trials.