Can Rosiglitazone Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?
The risk reduction of almost 60% with rosiglitazone translates into 144 out of 1000 patients who were prevented from developing type 2 diabetes. (See “Confusing and Misleading Statistics” for more information on interpreting medical statistics.) The cost to treat those 1000 patients over three years would be about $6 million in U.S. dollars ($2000 per patient per year). The DREAM study did not make it clear whether rosiglitazone conferred a lasting preventive effect or whether the risk returned to normal when treatment ceased; follow-up studies are needed. Complicating the question even further is the fact that between 4 and 5 of those 1000 would suffer heart failure as a result of rosiglitazone treatment. (Davidson 2007) Because of these considerations, the value of rosiglitazone treatment as a part of a diabetes prevention plan is debatable. The drug is expensive and carries a risk of gravely serious side effects. Additionally, it would delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in only abou
