DR. KHALID BIN MOHAMMED MIRGHALANI, OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SAID CONFUSING STUDIES PUBLISHED RECENTLY ON THE RISKS OF USING TROGLITAZONE (REZULIN), AN ANTI-DIABETES DRUG, ARE THE REASONS BEHIND CONFLICTING REPORTS ON THE MEDIA AND INTERNET THAT THE DRUG, ALSO CALLED AVANDIA, MIGHT CAUSE ANGINA. HE SAID THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG AUTHORITY HAS ADMITTED KNOWLEDGE OF RISKS ATTRIBUTED TO THE DRUG BASED ON SOME STUDIES PROVING THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE RATE OF THOSE COMPLAINING FROM HEART PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF USING THE ANTI-DIABETES MEDICINE. THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG AUTHORITY SAID THAT AT THE SAME TIME THERE ARE PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED STUDIES CONTRADICTING THE ABOVE, SENDING THE U.S. AUTHORITY TO A STATE OF CONFUSION ON WHETHER THE DRUG IS A CAUSE OF ANGINA. MIRGHALANI SAID THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTRACTING ANGINA IS MENTIONED IN THE DRUG'S MEDICAL LEAFLET. HE QUOTED THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG AUTHORITY AS SAYING THAT PUBLISHING THIS INFORMATION WOULD NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS CONFIRMED RELATION BETWEEN AVANDIA AND ANGINA RISKS OR THAT IT WOULD NOT ADVISE DOCTORS NOT TO PRESCRIBE IT TO THEIR PATIENTS. ITS ADVICE IS THAT DOCTORS COULD DECIDE CASE BY CASE, VOWING TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH ANY NEW INFORMATION IT MIGHT REACH ABOUT THE DRUG.
