Healthy Living News

Study: Statins May Raise Diabetes Risk

by Howard LeWine, M.D.
Harvard Medical School

Women who use statin drugs may have a higher risk of developing diabetes, a large study finds. The results reinforce smaller studies that found a similar link for both women and men. But experts say people at risk of heart attacks should still take the drugs because the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. Statins lower LDL cholesterol in the blood. Studies show they reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and early death for high-risk people. The new study included more than 153,000 women. All were in their 50s or older. They were part of a long-running health study. When the study began, about 7% took statins. Researchers collected health information from them for 7 to 15 years. By 2005, about 10% of the statin users had developed diabetes. Only 6.4% of those who did not use statins had developed the disease. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the study. The Associated Press wrote about it January 10.

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

About 1 out of 4 U.S. adults ages 45 and older now takes a statin. Statins are the most popular drugs to lower cholesterol. The first one became available in the late 1980s. Six are on the market today:

• Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• Fluvastatin (Lescol)
• Lovastatin (Mevacor)
• Pravastatin (Pravachol)
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
• Simvastatin (Zocor)

Statins are one of the most important drugs developed in the last quarter century. It's not because they can lower a cholesterol reading on a blood test report. They also prevent heart attacks and strokes, and they save lives.

But statins don't work miracles. In some people they cause muscle pain and other unwanted side effects. And now we learn that statins may increase your risk of developing diabetes.

Researchers used information gathered from a huge study of women. The study began in 1993. It included 153,840 American women. Their ages ranged from 50 to 79. The researchers have continued to get detailed medical information from them. They analyze this to look for links between different factors.

In this report, the researchers looked at statin use in women after menopause and new cases of diabetes. They found that statin users were more likely to develop diabetes than women not taking a statin. Other studies have suggested a similar trend for men as well as women.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

If you take a statin, don't stop based on the findings in this study. This type of study is called an observational study. It only shows a connection between statin users and a slightly higher risk of new onset diabetes. It does not mean statins cause diabetes. Many people who need a statin because they have a higher than average risk of heart disease are also at higher risk of developing diabetes.

If you already have diabetes, you actually need a statin more than someone that doesn't.

Diet and exercise are the first and best places to start if you need to lower your level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is sometimes called "bad cholesterol." You also need to change any behaviors that increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and early death.

• Do not smoke or use other tobacco products.
• Keep your blood pressure in the normal range, even if takes medicine to do that.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

This study could not show whether any particular statin had a closer link with new cases of diabetes. We also still don't know if the statin dose matters. But it seems logical that if statins are found to increase your diabetes risk, a higher dose should be worse.

More studies are needed to see if statins actually can cause earlier development of diabetes. Even if they do, those affected may have developed diabetes anyway down the road. If that is the case, the advantages of statins could outweigh the risk of an earlier diabetes diagnosis.

Categories: Women's Health, Diabetes

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