A new study in the British Medical Journal has shown that the type of diabetes medication a patient is taking may not be as effective as others when it comes to reducing cardiac disease.
The study shows that patients taking Metformin, may have a slightly less chance of dying from cardiac complications than those taking sulphonylureas, a different class of drugs. Glyburide, glipizide and glimepiride are all examples of sulphonylureas.
The study also looked at comparisons between Metformin and a second class of medications, the thiazolidinediones (like Actos and Avandia) as well. The study found no difference in the risk of having a heart attack, though it suggests that patients taking Actos may have a lower risk of dying from heart or other complications, as compared to patients taking Avandia. There are no new recommendations yet suggesting that doctors change the way that patients are treated.
So what does this mean if you are taking one of these medications for insulin resistance? This study does not mean that you need to change medications. But as a woman with PCOS, you should be aware of your already increased risk of developing heart disease and may need to address it with your doctor.
