American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes have removed Rosiglitazone from lists of recommended treatments for type-2 diabetes. (Diabetes Care, January 2009).

Ever since the landmark article titled "Effect of Rosiglitazone on the Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Death from Cardiovascular Causes" on Rosiglitazone appeared in NEJM on June 14, 2007 there were hot ongoing debates on the safety of this product. The New England Journal of Medicine article, by the influential Cleveland Clinic heart specialist Dr. Steven E. Nissen, warned that the use of Avandia might significantly increase the risk of heart attacks. The extent of those possible risks had not been previously identified to the public.

Dr. Nissen has said that, according to his analysis, any person with Type 2 diabetes has a 20.2 percent chance of having a heart attack during a seven-year period. But with Avandia, he says, that seven-year risk would increase to 28.9 percent. In the present algorithm published online in Dec 2008, both the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes have removed Rosiglitazone from lists of recommended treatments for type-2 diabetes.

"Although the meta analysis discussed above are not conclusive regarding the potential cardiovascular risk associated with Rosiglitazone, given that other options are now recommended, the consensus group members unanimously advised against using Rosiglitazone.

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(Medical Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes: A Consensus Algorithm for the Initiation and Adjustment of Therapy
A consensus statement of the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes)