Actos can cause patients to gain weight
The type 2 diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone) can cause patients to gain weight, according to a new study.
Ryan Roux, chief pharmacy officer with the Harris County Hospital District in Houston, and his team of researchers compiled a list of drugs that treat various conditions and categorized each as “weight promoting,” “weight neutral,” and “weight loss.” His list identified common drugs that treat depression, epilepsy and diabetes as among those that can cause patients to gain weight.
The new alleged side effect is notable, researchers say, because weight gain can lead to obesity, which can put patients at risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
An estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes – or about 8.3 percent of the population. Oftentimes the disease goes undiagnosed. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to diabetes. If left untreated, the disease can cause eye problems, neuropathy in the feet, skin infections, high blood pressure, hearing loss, kidney disease, mental problems, and strokes.
Researchers say that with diabetes medications like Actos, the added side effect of weight gain is hard to process. Diabetics must get their blood sugar in control, but it can be more difficult when the drugs to treat the disease contribute to weight gain. People who are obese are more likely to become diabetic, and being diabetic causes the body to be less responsive to dietary changes. It sounds like a vicious circle.
Actos was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999 to treat type 2 diabetes. Last year, the FDA issued a warning to doctors and patients that studies had linked the drug to bladder cancer.
Source: Drugs.com
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