Doctors Urge Diabetics: Don't Rely On Avandia

Filed in archive Treatment on August 30, 2006

It's the hot topic in diabetes news : that Avandia, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, can also be used to prevent it.

But doctors fear that people will rely on this drug option rather than on the methods already proven to prevent diabetes: a healthy diet and exercise.

However the draw back is that Avandia costs as much as $170 a month, and many experts say there are other treatments which are cheaper and just as effective.

Studies have shown that by just making lifestyle changes, people can cut the risk of developing the disease by 58 percent

"We know that lifestyle changes alone can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 58 percent," said Dr. Martin Abrahamson, medical director of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, who had no ties to the study.

It's good the option of a drug treatment is there for people who truly need it, but why not try the free and healthy way of prevention first?