Clip thanks to www.pharmacyforall.net A new study led by a federal drug safety expert ties the controversial diabetes drug Avandia (Rosiglitazone) to a higher risk of heart problems, strokes and deaths in older adults, and says it is more dangerous than a rival drug, Actos. The study, a huge review of Medicare records, comes two weeks ahead of a Food and Drug Administration hearing on Avandia’s safety. The lead author, Dr. David Graham, is an FDA scientist who wants the pill banned. As many as 100000 heart attacks, strokes, deaths and cases of heart failure may be due to Avandia since it came on the market in 1999, Graham said in an interview with The Associated Press. Avandia (Rosiglitazone) is a once-blockbuster drug for Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease and the kind often tied to obesity. Avandia and Actos are pills that help the body make better use of insulin, a key digestive hormone. The American Heart Association issued a statement reminding patients not to stop taking any medicine without talking with their doctors first. The new study is not definitive enough to prove harm but “deserves serious consideration” and should be discussed between patients and their doctors, the statement says. Avandia (Rosiglitazone) has been under a cloud since May 2007, when a review of dozens of studies suggested it may raise the risk of heart attacks and heart-related deaths. Warnings were added to its label, and the American Diabetes Association told patients to …