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JAMA. 1999;282:932.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The FDA has approved two new drugs of the thiazolidinedione class to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Rosiglitazone (Avandia, SmithKline Beecham, Philadelphia) is approved as monotherapy or in combination with metformin. Pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals America Inc and Eli Lilly, Indianapolis) is approved as monotherapy or for use in combination with sulfonylureas, metformin, or insulin in patients whose disease is not adequately controlled by these agents alone. Patients taking either drug should follow a careful diet and try to achieve and maintain an appropriate weight.

Both new drugs decrease the body's resistance to insulin. Rosiglitazone was tested on more than 4000 patients previously treated with diet alone or with metformin. The product was well tolerated and improved patients' ability to use insulin. Adverse events included infection, pain, and headache. Mild to moderate edema, increase in blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and mild anemia were also reported but usually did . . . [Full Text of this Article]