Diabetes- Avandia

Avandia, a medication used to increase insulin sensitivity, has taken a lot of heat over the past several weeks.  This popular diabetes medication has made headlines because of the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes associated with it.  The matter is far from over.  As of today, the FDA is still considering whether or not to pull Avandia from the market.

When these matters are debated, you often find two camps where one group strongly supports the use of a drug while the other group is staunchly opposed.  Both perspectives are often rooted in the naive idea that "drugs are amazing" or "drugs are evil."

Individuals in the natural health community, like myself, are often guilty of decrying the multiple adverse effects of medications and the overuse of these powerful tools.  This leads to the well intentioned but ill informed opinion that "drugs are evil."  News like this can serve as a sort of vindication for anti-drug advocates.

But consider the broader view here.  Medications clearly save lives and improve the quality of life for millions of people in the U.S.  I read this piece in the LA Times which is a bit more fair and balanced than many viewpoints. 

With any medication, you will help some people and hurt others.  It is impossible for a drug to be everything to all people.  

"It's always a balancing act for us," said Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration. "Products get approval because we see that the benefits outweigh the risks. Then we try to adjust as we go along." LA Times July 1, 2010.

Our natural tendency is to assume that "the powers that be" have clearly determined that the benefits outweigh the risk.  The case of Avandia is evidence that this is a dangerous assumption.  Consider the recalls we hear daily; McDonald's toys, Toyota cars, cribs, baby bottles and more.  Drugs are no different.