Fracture risk tied to diabetes drug

Women with type 2 diabetes who take a commonly prescribed drug for the problem are at a higher risk of bone fractures, a Henry Ford Hospital study has found.

The drugs, a class of medicines called thiazolidinediones, or TZDs, help control blood sugar levels. But women, particularly white women, taking the drugs for a year had a 50 percent higher chance of developing a bone fracture, according to the study in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Dr. L. Keoki Williams and his team studied 10,070 Henry Ford patients for the study. Men were not at increased risk of fractures if they took the diabetes drugs. Diabetic patients already are at higher risk for fractures, he noted.

The findings suggest that diabetic patients taking the drugs be checked for bone loss periodically. They might need to switch to other medicines, or take bone-fracture prevention drugs if tests find potential problems, Williams said.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin for the body or the insulin is not metabolized properly, according to the American Diabetes Association. The body needs insulin to absorb sugar for energy.

Some people must take insulin or oral medication, but the condition is usually treated through diet and exercise.