The short answer is sometimes.  Actos heart failure can be caused by the diabetes drug Actos, which belongs to a group called thiazolidinediones (TZD). How is the heart affected by TZD?  Because of high blood sugar levels, individuals with uncontrolled high blood sugar are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, and some suffer heart conditions when placed on medication.  Clinical studies reveal TZDs can cause edema, a buildup or accumulation of fluids that exacerbates congestive heart disease, and could lead to heart attack.

Three drugs from the TZD category introduced in recent years were met with hope from medical professionals, but resulted in issues such as liver damage, heart problems and bladder cancer:

• Troglitazone was removed from the market when implicated in liver damage.
• Prescription of rosiglitazone (Avandia) is restricted to providers who acknowledge greater risk of myocardial infarction and register through an Access program.
• Pioglitazone has come under fire — and is the subject of Actos lawsuits — for involvement in increased heart failure, bladder cancer and organ toxicity.

In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised labeling standards for TZD class drugs.  Announcing the strongest possible warning, the FDA determined TZDs can cause or worsen heart disease in some patients, and could lead to heart failure.The cost of diabetes is high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 2007 that the direct and indirect costs of diabetes in this country were $174 billion. In addition, of course, the human cost of this disease is immeasurable. Unfortunately, for some, the proposed cure has been worse than the disease. If you were injured by TZD drugs such as Actos, talk to an attorney with Our Law Firm.