Medicine & USMLE

Pioglitazone (Old)

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Summary

Pioglitazone is an antidiabetic drug that is used to lower blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. Pioglitazone works by lowering insulin resistance, so it actually has a low risk for causing hypoglycemia. Pioglitazone’s main adverse effect is cardiovascular toxicity, meaning there is a chance the pioglitazone causes a myocardial infarction or heart failure.

Key Points

  • Pioglitazone
    • Mechanism
      • Thiazolidinediones
        • Decrease insulin resistance and increase blood glucose control
        • Carry a low risk for hypoglycemia (similar to metformin)
    • Clinical Uses
      • Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
    • Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
      • Cardiovascular Toxicity
        • Myocardial Infarction
        • Heart Failure
          • Can worsen pre-existing heart failure by causing fluid retention
      • Bladder Cancer