While much of the negative attention towards Avandia relates to heart attacks, Avandia has been nearly as dangerous for its users in causing strokes. With Avandia FDA investigations still occurring on multiple fronts, the estimated number of strokes conclusively liked to Avandia use still remains unknown. However, given the statistical probability of risk for stroke compared to heart attack, it is likely that more than 50,000 strokes have been caused by Avandia from 1999 - 2007.

Greatly Increased Risk of Stroke in Users 65 and Older

The FDA's Associate Director of Drug Safety released a retrospective study of 225,000 patients in June of 2010. This report concluded that Avandia use has "an increased risk of stroke, heart failure and all-cause mortality and an increased risk of the composite of AMI, stroke, heart failure or all-cause mortality in patients 65 years or older." Evidence suggests that the maker of Avandia was aware of this increased stroke risks years earlier and also knew that similar drugs made by its competitors were equally effective at lowering blood sugar levels and didn't have the same stroke risks as Avandia.