Avandia and Actos, two diabetes drugs have been shown to increase fractures in older women, according to a recent study done by William Herman, MD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and co-authors wrote in an article published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The study was funded by the CDC and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Herman has served as a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Avandia.

Avandia and Actos are used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and are called thiazolidinedione (TZD) drugs. Women with diabetes and over the age of 50 with fractures were 70% more likely to be taking a TZD drug than women without fractures. They were also 50% more likely to have limited mobility. This is the second study that shows similar results.

This hits home for me as my Aunt who is currently in a nursing home fractured her shoulder and now has extremely limited mobility. She is unable to care for herself and will most likely spend the rest of her life in a nursing facility.