Popular Cholesterol drugs increase diabetes risk

Wed, 17 Feb 2010
Statins, taken by millions to help lower cholesterol levels, could increase the risk of developing diabetes according to a recent study. The research shows that the common heart drug increases diabetes risk by nine per cent for the over-60s.

The study, based on the meta-analysis of 13 trials, found that for every person that develops diabetes five would avoid a heart attack or heart disease due to the pills. Furthermore, the researchers were unsure whether the drugs could cause diabetes, or if the results are down to chance.

The review was conducted by a team from the University of Glasgow. Dr. David Preiss, writing in the Lancet, was reported as commenting: "In view of the overwhelming benefit of statins for reduction of cardiovascular events, the small absolute risk for development of diabetes is outweighed by cardiovascular benefit in the short and medium term in individuals for whom statin therapy is recommended. We therefore suggest that clinical practice for statin therapy does not need to change for patients with moderate or high cardiovascular risk or existing cardiovascular disease. However, the potentially raised diabetes risk should be taken into account if statin therapy is considered for patients at low cardiovascular risk or patient groups in which cardiovascular benefit has not been proven."

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