Rosiglitazone Is Associated with Sharp Lipid Irregularity

Researchers in the United Kingdom found 3 cases linking lipid abnormalitieswith rosiglitazone. The study showed that treatment with rosiglitazonemight cause an acute decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL; "good") cholesteroland an increase in fasting triglycerides. Reporting in Diabetes Care(November 2004), the researchers said that the 3 participants had type 2 diabetesand high cholesterol and were being treated with rosiglitazone. Theresults of the study indicated that rosiglitazone was temporally related to adrastic decline in HDL cholesterol.

Once the drug was stopped, the patients had a rapid return of HDL cholesterolto pretreatment levels. All 3 patients had a "striking improvement" in bloodsugar control with rosiglitazone treatment even with the abnormal cholesterolresponse. The researchers noted that the mechanism of rosiglitazone-inducedcholesterol abnormalities remains to be determined. Although the cholesterolproblem was rare, the researchers recommended that a full lipid profile, includingHDL cholesterol, be taken prior to beginning rosiglitazone and similar drugsand again 3 months later.