Diabetes drugs may raise fracture risk in women – TheGlobeAndMail.com

Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, sold under the brand names Avandia and Actos, seem to accelerate bone density loss and create a heightened threat of fracture among women – especially seniors – who have taken them over a long period of time. The same risk was not seen in men, or among women who took other drugs to manage diabetes.

Thiazolidinediones: Do harms outweigh benefits? – CMAJ Dec 10, 2008 (link to PDF file).

Based on 10 randomized controlled trials that lasted at least 12 months and involved over 13000 patients, Loke and colleagues found that thiazolidinediones were associated with a 45% increase in fractures. Consistent with previous reports, the risk appeared to be limited to women.