FDA Medwatch safety alert:  Avandia and Avandamet:  health professionals have been notified about reports of diabetic macular edema in patients receiving these two drugs which treat type 2 diabetes.  In the majority of these cases, there was also concurrent peripheral edema.  The reports also involved both new cases of macular edema and worsening of existing cases.  In some cases, the macular edema resolved or improved when the drug was discontinued, and in one case it resolved after the dose was reduced. 

This MedWatch safety alert was published b y the FDA January 5, 2006. 

If you have ANY macular edema, diabetic macular edema, contact your health provider and advise them of this notice.

(note from me:  Is this the REAL reason why there is much more macular degeneration now?  Are these drugs which are supposedly "saving" us from the "ravages" of diabetes actually throttling our lives out of us?  My Personal Opinion)