The FDA approved Actos, for diabetes in 1999 with four therapy indications: monotherapy, in combination with metformin or sulphonylureas, and with insulin. Actos does not cause the body to release more insulin, eliminating the risk of hypoglycemia when taken alone. Actos for diabetes was also found to decrease the level of triglycerides while increasing HDL cholesterol levels when used in monotherapy and with other drugs. High levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL are leading factors in the development of heart disease, of which diabetics are particularly susceptible. In clinical studies prior to Actos’s release found that 45 mg of Actos given daily lowered blood sugar, in patients who were not previously on diabetes medication, by 63.7 mg/dL compared baseline. Reduction of A1C levels after two to four weeks was as much as 1.9% with a 2.6% when compared to a placebo. Side effects reported during clinical trials were …