Effect of Rosiglitazone on Myocardial Blood Flow Regulation in Type 2 Diabetes

Inclusion Criteria:

• Type 2 diabetes
• 30-75 years of age
• less than 1% fluctuation in HbA1c over 3 months
• women must be on contraception
• HbA1c 6-9%
• willingness to sign approved consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• Nursing mothers, pregnant women (excluded by a negative pregnancy test).
• Subjects requiring insulin therapy (>20 units/day) and can not be converted to sulfonylurea therapy without loss of diabetes control.
• Patients with a history of drug or alcohol dependence in the last 5 years
• Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, structural abnormalities and valve disease, peripheral vascular disease and uncontrolled high blood pressure.
• Patients with a history of high cholesterol requiring therapy.
• Patients with severe systemic disease other than diabetes which has as a recognized complication neuropathy
• Patients currently taking drugs which act on the blood vessels (for example for hypertension)
• Patients taking antidepressants, or other drugs or medications known to interfere with the uptake or metabolism of catecholamines (stress hormones)
• Patients with poor renal function or have significant liver disease
• Patients with a history of previous kidney, pancreas or cardiac transplantation.
• Patients with a history of "severe hypoglycemia" which required the assistance of a third party or ketoacidosis requiring hospital admission within the last 3 months.
• Patients with lung disease for example resulting from chronic obstructive airways disease.
• Patients with abnormal thyroid function tests.
• Patients having taken other systemic investigational drugs (especially for neuropathy) or initiating a new or experimental insulin delivery device within 3 months of starting the study.
• Patients with a history of allergic reactions to multiple drugs or biological products.
• Obese patients (BMI greater than 35).
• Patients who refuse to sign the informed consent.