Statins may increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes: New study

The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology population-based cohort study, ‘Diabetes-risk associated with statin use,’ analysed the medical histories of 9535 people from the population-based Rotterdam Study over the age of 45 who did not have diabetes.
 
The study followed the histories of participants for 15 years, and found those who had used statins were 38% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes during the study period, with obese and overweight people or those with an impaired glucose balance the most at risk.
 
The study does not show statins actually cause the increased risk of diabetes.
 
Compared with participants who never used statins, those who used statins also tended to have higher concentrations of serum fasting insulin and insulin resistance.
 
‘The findings suggest that in patients who initiate statin therapy, preventive strategies such as blood sugar control and weight loss may be warranted for minimising the risk of diabetes,’ senior author
Professor Bruno Stricker of the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands said.
 
The study states that ‘rigorous preventive strategies such as glucose control and weight reduction in patients when initiating statin therapy might help minimising the risk of diabetes.’
 
The risk in this study was much higher than a recent meta-analysis of 29 randomised clinical trials, which showed a 12% significantly increased risk.
 
‘However, use under everyday circumstances differs from use in a clinical trial setting with its homogeneous population and short follow up,’ the study states.
 
Chair of the RACGP Specific Interests Diabetes network, Dr Gary Deed, told newsGP that this study adds to the evidence base.
 
‘It’s just a reminder that in managing cardiovascular risk, we need to address whole-of-patient factors, such as weight management and blood pressure, which possibly lowers the risk of diabetes, as well as just using statin therapy.

'All medications have risk, but there’s obvious benefit [with statins] for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease, or those with existing disease.’

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