The truth really does come out eventually
Hot on the heels of the House Call I wrote the other day about an apparent link between the diabetes drug Avandia and an increased risk of heart disease, some new drug trials have shed light on another fact about Avandia and related drugs.
Rosiglitazone is a drug given to people who can’t control their blood-glucose levels and are therefore at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It’s interesting to note, however, that it prevents only one in seven cases of that type of diabetes.
That’s not being too effective, when you think about it. In a study done last year in Finland, researchers found that lifestyle interventions—such as changes in one’s diet and increasing physical activity—resulted in a 43 percent reduction in the relative risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
In another recent study, lifestyle measures trumped metformin (marketed as Glucophage), an oral diabetes drug, by 55 percent to 30 percent when it came to reducing the risk of developing diabetes. Also, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil have a mode of action that is similar to—but much safer than—drugs like Avandia. Fish oil already has an impressive track record in preventing heart attack deaths in people with or without known heart disease, in addition to being known to improve insulin sensitivity and burn fat—all important when it comes to preventing diabetes. I recommend you take a fish-oil supplement of at least 1,000 mg per day total EPA plus DHA.
I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer the higher—and natural—success rate!
Especially when you consider the side effects of Rosiglitazone and similar drugs. For starters, they can wreak havoc with your liver—and doctors who prescribe them usually recommend that you come in for frequent liver-function tests.
As if that weren’t worrisome enough, there are other side effects to consider, such as possible nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and fluid retention (which is particularly dangerous if you have heart disease).
Considering that Type 2 diabetes is linked to one’s lifestyle to begin with, it only makes sense to start with the basics—and stick to them. Going on an expensive prescription medication that only strives to mimic what can be done naturally just doesn’t make good sense.
