Study Shows Actos Increases Side Effect Risk of Bone Fractures

Actos Side Effect Warning: Users May be 2-3 Times More Likely to Develop Bone Fractures

In 2008 there was a Swiss study published where researches reviewed 12 years of data from type II diabetes patients in the United Kingdom. It was discovered that the patients that took Actos or some other form of thiazolidinedione (TZD) were 2 to 3 times more likely to suffer a bone fracture than the patients that took non-TZD diabetes medications.

Another study completed in Canada supported those findings. That study went on to report that women who were in their 70’s that used Actos for longer than a year had a 5% chance of experiencing a bone fracture. For women in their 50’s that used Actos for more than a year the bone fracture rate was at 2%. In each of these age groups the Actos bone fracture rate was over 2 times the rate you would normally find in these age groups.

Another study published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reported that University of Michigan researchers took a different approach. They began with 786 patients who were diabetic and experienced bone fractures and compared these patients to 2,600 diabetes patients who did not experience bone fractures. They evaluated the number of bone fracture victims between those who used a TZD medication such as Actos compared to those who did not. The results were shocking. Women who were over the age of 50 experienced a bone fracture 71% more when taking a medication like Actos compared to those who were not.

There is an even newer study on this particular side effect of Actos. Data was evaluated by Scottish researchers from a nationwide database containing information on hospital admissions, medication prescriptions, as well as deaths of those who had type II diabetes. In examining 37,000 patients that had taken a medication containing TZD, like Actos, between the years of 1999 to 2008 there were 176 of them that suffered from a hip fractures. It was then discovered that the diabetes patients who took either Actos or Avandia experienced an 18% relative side effect increase for developing a hip fracture for each cumulative year that used the drug.

Stronger Warning Labels for Actos Side Effects

It is of the opinion of many of these researchers that stronger warning labels for Actos should be put into effect. They recently commented by saying, “Hip fracture is a severe adverse effect with TZDs, affecting both sexes; labels should be changed to warn of this. The excess mortality is at least as much as expected from the reported association of pioglitazone with bladder cancer.”

These studies have certainly helped to strengthen a number of Actos lawsuits that have already been filed. However, it is estimated that a number of Actos bone fracture lawsuits have remained unfiled due to the lack of consumer awareness. However, as more studies are completed it is likely that as public awareness continues to grow more Actos lawsuits will be filed.

Filing an Actos Lawsuit

If you have experienced a bone fracture as a result of taking Actos or another one of the potential side effects Actos has been linked to, including bladder cancer, bladder tumors, congestive heart failure, eye disease or any other side effect that may have been due to the consumption of Actos, visit the Actos Bladder Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page right away. Learn more about your legal options and potentially filing your own Actos lawsuit. An Actos lawsuit attorney will provide a free legal review right away.