" The researchers, led by the University of East Anglia, suggest fluid retention caused by the drugs may be to blame. "

" Writing in the journal Diabetes Care, they call for a rethink on the drugs by the regulatory authorities. "

"There doesn't seem to be a group of patients who are safe from these side-effects"

" Patients are advised not to stop taking the drugs, but to consult their GP if they have concerns. "

" The latest analysis of data estimates that one in every 50 people taking the drugs over a 26-month period will require hospital admission because of heart failure. "

" Lead researcher Dr Yoon Loke said: "This means that the diabetes drugs could have caused thousands of additional cases of heart failure, creating a substantial burden on hard-pressed NHS services." "

" The researchers also looked in detail at more than 200 cases of patients with heart failure related to the diabetes drugs and found that the problem developed even in patients taking low doses of the drugs. "

" While heart failure is often thought to be a problem affecting older patients, the researchers also found that one quarter of cases occurred in people younger than 60. "

" The manufacturers' information leaflets say that rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, brand name Actos, should not be used in patients known to have heart failure, but this research indicates that the drugs can provoke the problem even in those without a history of heart disease. "

"People with heart failure are more prone to potentially dangerous conditions such as: abnormal heart rhythms, stroke and heart attack"

" Dr Loke said: "Most patients in the studies did not have heart failure prior to starting on treatment with these drugs. "

" "There doesn't seem to be a group of patients who are safe from these side-effects." "

" Matt Hunt, of the charity Diabetes UK, said the drugs were recommended by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
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