Watch Out for This Diabetes Medication

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reports that a commonly prescribed diabetes medication is contributing to higher rates of bone fractures among elderly women.

The drug thiazolidinedione (TZD) is commonly used to treat insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes. Researchers studied 19,070 men and women, 4,511 of whom had a prescription for the drug. After one year, researchers began to notice a trend among older women.

There was no increased risk of fractures for men who participated in the study, but among women aged 65 and older there was a 50% increase in the risk of fracture after one year on TZD. The location of the fractures was unusual as well. While most fractures among the elderly occur in the hip or vertebra, TZD was associated with increased fractures in the upper extremities and distal lower extremities.

So check with your doctor.

(Original source: McKnights)