Actos, Avandia Labels To Warn of Congestive Heart Failure

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Manufacturers of the diabetes drugs Actos and Avandia have changed warnings that accompany prescriptions in order to indicate that taking the drugs may lead to congestive heart failure.

According to an FDA release issued April 26, doctors treating diabetics with the drugs, either exclusively or in combination with insulin, have been alerted to the possibility of fluid retention that could exacerbate or cause the heart to fail.

The announcement comes at the conclusion of separate studies involving Actos and Avandia.

In the Actos study, more than 550 patients - most with long-standing diabetes and other pre-existing health …