Side effects of popular diabetes drugs described

A new study at the University of Tokyo has warned that drugs known as thiazolidinediones, or TZDs for short, which are widely used in diabetes treatment, have a large downside.

The study has been published in the issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication and suggests the drugs have effects on the kidneys that lead to fluid retention as the volume of plasma in the bloodstream expands.

According to researchers, TZDs usually increase body weight by several kilograms and sometimes cause massive volume expansion, resulting in heart failure.