Protease Inhibitors Tied to Diabetes in AIDS Patients, FDA Warns Doctors
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From Times staff and wire reports
AIDS patients taking the powerful new protease inhibitors should be monitored closely for diabetes, an unexpected side effect, the Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday. In letters to thousands of doctors, the FDA stressed that diabetes appears to occur very rarely and that patients should not stop taking their AIDS medicines.
The FDA recently discovered 83 patients who contracted diabetes or hyperglycemia, high blood sugar, or had those diseases suddenly worsen after they began taking protease inhibitors. Six suffered life-threatening illnesses and 21 others had to be hospitalized.
