The amount of sugar in the blood can be reduced using Rosiglitazone. This is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and is part of anti-diabetic drugs called thiazolidinediones. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to control the levels of glucose in blood. Those suffering from type 2 diabetes cannot produce sufficient insulin and this leads to diabetes.

With Rosiglitazone, the ‘insulin sensitizer’, it attaches to the insulin receptors on cells in the body to make the cells more sensitive to insulin and thus help in removing glucose from the blood. However it is necessary for the patient to produce some insulin from their pancreas for the effective working of Rosiglitazone.

Rosiglitazone is used with diet and exercise to control diabetes and is either used alone or in combination with other anti-diabetic drugs like metformin. It is not recommended for use in type 1 diabetes where the amount of insulin in the body is low or absent. Rosiglitazone is to be taken once or twice a day, with or without meals.

It has not been proven safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women to take Rosiglitazone. It is also not safe to take Rifampin with Rosiglitazone as it decreases blood concentration and decreases effect of Rosiglitazone. There are some side effects associated with Rosiglitazone like headache, back pain, sinusitis, diarrhea, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. It may also cause edema and heart failure and cause increase in weight with increased dosage. Troglitazone, a related drug is known to bring about liver injury. This is why it is better to have liver tests done before starting any Rosiglitazone therapy and periodically after it.