Over 25 million people in the United States have diabetes — and about 7 million of these people are undiagnosed. But what is diabetes? A simple way to explain it is that diabetes is all about insulin — how much your body produces and how much it efficiently puts to use. Insulin promotes conversion of glucose to energy within a cell. When not enough insulin is present, physical damage occurs because too much glucose circulates in the blood.
There are several types of diabetes. Over 90 percent of those diagnosed with diabetes suffer from Type 2, which is associated with older age, obesity and family history. Often treated through diet, exercise and healthy life choices, Type 2 diabetes is also controlled with medications like thiazolidinediones, a group of drugs that assist the metabolism of glucose. Unfortunately, the use of some of these drugs can have serious — even deadly — consequences.
Two chemically related drugs prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, Avandia and Actos, have recently come under fire for injuring some users. A look at an Actos overview shows that use may cause bladder cancer and other organ failure, while Avandia has been significantly restricted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for implication in increased cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.Many people do not yet understand diabetes is silently ravaging their eyesight, kidneys and nervous system. Moreover, many people who did get help for diabetes do not yet understand the medication they were prescribed could be slowly killing them. If you or a loved one was injured by Actos, contact Our Law Firm today to speak with an Actos injury attorney. We can help.
