• November 15, 2007

The widely used diabetes drug Avandia got a new warning label Wednesday telling patients that it may, or may not, increase the risk of heart attacks.

Although the Food and Drug Administration said studies of the risk are too contradictory to say whether Avandia is riskier than other Type 2 diabetes meds, it went ahead with the warning label, pending further research.

Avandia manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline PLC has agreed to begin a major new study comparing that drug to another active blood sugar-lowering medication to better understand if there is a risk.

About 1 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes use Avandia. It helps control blood sugar by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin.

--Nina M. Lentini