Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Don't panic.' Anti-diabetes medication recalled, may contain high levels of cancer-causing compound
UC diabetes experts offers advice for patients in wake of recall
Two pharmaceutical companies issued voluntary recalls Monday for metformin, an anti-diabetes drug, due to high levels of a cancer-causing compound, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Metformin is used to treat type 2 diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic, and is distributed under the following brand names: Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza and Riomet.
The Cincinnati Enquirer spoke with Dr. Shailendra Patel, a professor and director of the UC Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and UC Health physician, about the recall. He offered a message for patients who use metformin: do not quite the drug cold turkey.
"Don't panic," Patel told the Enquirer. "Just have a nice discussion with your provider. And make sure that if the medication's the only thing that's controlling your disease, don't stop it. Just go in and ask and say, 'what are my alternatives?' "
Read the full story in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Learn more about Dr. Shailendra Patel.
Featured photo of blood sugar management device and generic medication courtesy of Unsplash.
Related Stories
New effort aims to keep unsold clothing donations out of the...
November 13, 2024
WVXU hosts leadership from Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries and UC fashion design student Wesley Beisel to speak to how donated items contribute to sustainable living. Beisel is the student lead of the Sustainable Fashion Initiative (SSI) which originated at UC.
The long and complicated — and expensive — effort to replace...
November 13, 2024
Cincinnati's public water utility is on a years-long effort to replace its lead service lines, guided by a model designed by Christopher Auffrey, a professor of planning at DAAP. The EPA has just ramped up the deadline for replacements across the U.S. and professor and city officials discussed the undertaking on NPR's "All Things Considered."
Could body roundness index replace BMI?
November 13, 2024
For decades, body mass index, or BMI, has been a widely used medical screening tool. But experts from the American Medical Association have pointed out some of the metric’s shortcomings. Now a recent paper published in JAMA Network Open reported that the body roundness index, or BRI, shows promise as a better predictor of mortality in adults.