Study Suggests Link between Statins and Diabetes

Boston, MAAnother statin study has suggested a link between the use of statins such as Lipitor and an increased risk of diabetes. Although the study notes that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes while undergoing statin therapy is small, there is a risk nonetheless. Meanwhile, a different statin study suggests that eating healthy might be just as effective at preventing cardiovascular mortality as taking a statin.

The first study, published online (1/20/14) in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Medicine, reviewed published literature regarding the use of statins and their possible link to the development of diabetes. Researchers acknowledged that it is not known how statins increase the risk of diabetes but they did note that the benefits still appear to outweigh the risks.

“Despite the fact that higher statin doses are more likely to lead to new-onset diabetes, for every case of diabetes caused, there are approximately three cardiovascular events reduced with high dose versus moderate dose statin therapy,” researchers wrote. So although patients could be exposed to an increased risk of diabetes, more patients are benefiting from the decreased risk of serious cardiovascular events.

Statins have been at the center of controversy due to their reported side effects and their widespread use. Some critics have argued against too many patients being put on the drugs, noting the potential for side effects.

In a study published in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal; 17/12/13), researchers argued that eating an apple a day could be just as effective for some people as taking a statin.

For the study, researchers compared the reduction in deaths from vascular disease in patients older than 50 who used a statin compared with those who eat an apple a day. They found that although the statins and the apples both result in similar reduction in the risk of cardiovascular problems, apples would have no side effects, where as statins would put their users at a risk of side effects.

“Choosing apples rather than statins may avoid more than a thousand excess cases of myopathy and more than 12 000 excess diabetes diagnoses,” researchers wrote. In other words, while both statins and apples prevent heart problems, apples have the added benefit of not being reportedly linked to serious side effects.