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Statins linked to doubled risk of type 2 diabetes
A study of thousands of patients’ health records found that
those who were prescribed cholesterol-lowering statins had
at least double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The
detailed analysis of health records and other data from
patients in a private insurance plan in the Midwest provides
a real-world picture of how efforts to reduce heart disease
may be contributing to another major medical concern, said
Victoria Zigmont, who led the study as a graduate student in
public health at The Ohio State University.
Statins are a class of drugs that can lower cholesterol and
blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
More than a quarter of middle-aged adults use a cholesterol-
lowering drug, according to recent federal estimates.
Researchers found that statin users had more
than double the risk of a diabetes diagnosis compared
to those who didn’t take the drugs. Those who took
the cholesterol-lowering drugs for more than two
years had more than three times the risk of diabetes.
‘The fact that increased duration of statin use was associated
with an increased risk of diabetes – something we call a dose-
dependent relationship – makes us think that this is likely a
causal relationship, Zigmont said.
‘That said, statins are very effective in preventing heart
attacks and strokes. I would never recommend that people
stop taking the statin they’ve been prescribed based on this
study, but it should open up further discussions about diabetes
prevention and patient and provider awareness of the issue.’
Researchers also found that statin users were 6.5% more
likely to have a troublingly high HbA1c value – a routine
blood test for diabetes that estimates average blood sugar
over several months.
The study included 4 683 men and women who did not have
diabetes, were candidates for statins based on heart disease
risk and had not yet taken the drugs at the start of the study.
About 16% of the group – 755 patients – were eventually
prescribed statins during the study period, which ran from
2011 until 2014. Participants’ average age was 46 years.
Randall Harris, a study co-author and professor of
medicine and public health at Ohio State, said that the results
suggest that individuals taking statins should be followed
closely to detect changes in glucose metabolism and should
receive special guidance on diet and exercise for prevention.
continued on page 313 …