There’s caution on Avandia

            CLEVELAND - The Associated Press noted widely-prescribed diabetes drug Avandia is linked to greater risk of heart attack, possibly death, states an analysis online at the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). More than 6 million people worldwide have taken the drug sold by GlaxoSmithKline PLC since it came on the market eight years ago. Pooled results of dozens of studies revealed a 43% higher risk of heart attack, the review noted. Experts said overall risk was small and cautioned people not to stop taking the drug on their own but to talk to their doctors. The company stated the analysis by Dr. Steven Nissen and statistician Kathy Wolski at the Cleveland Clinic isn’t definitive scientific proof. Dr. Lawson McCartney, who leads Glaxo's diabetes drug development, said Glaxo isn’t seeing "anything like" problems reported in NEJM. The government will take no immediate action on a label change or other measures on the drug, said Dr. Robert J. Meyer, of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. FDA officials acknowledged Glaxo submitted data last August indicating some increased risk from the drug but said other studies were contradictory. Some members of Congress expressed alarm at the report and said they would hold hearings on the safety issues.