Rosiglitazone and Cardiovascular Risk – A Review

The thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are a class of oral drugs used for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and act as ligands for the transcription factor Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma (PPARγ). Rosiglitazone, an example of TZD, is an anti-diabetic agent acting as a potent insulin sensitizer and is used clinically to enhance insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in tissues. However, in spite of the beneficial effects of TZDs in management of type 2 diabetes, the safety of rosiglitazone has recently been called into question. The debate about the risks associated with rosiglitazone therapy heightened in 2007, when it was reported that rosiglitazone was associated with an increase risk of myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes. The cardiovascular risk associated with rosiglitazone use remains to be further elucidated, but there are several reasonable hypotheses.Keywords: Thiazolidinediones; Rosiglitazone; Type 2 Diabetes; Cardiovascular risk