Statins and T2D

[RichardofYork]

Can taking statins increase the risk of getting T2 diabetes? I'm pre-diabetic (HbA1c = 42) and not on medication. But recently stopped taking statins for 6 months and noticed a significant drop in my HbA1c readings. Is there any research to support the potential link, or is this drop just a coincidence?

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Statins raise blood sugar and can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. See http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20150304/statins-linked-to-raised-risk-of-type-2-diabetes#1

 

[RichardofYork]

Can taking statins increase the risk of getting T2 diabetes? I'm pre-diabetic (HbA1c = 42) and not on medication. But recently stopped taking statins for 6 months and noticed a significant drop in my HbA1c readings. Is there any research to support the potential link, or is this drop just a coincidence?

Many thanks for link. Interesting study. Need to think about this dilemma .

 

[bulkbiker]

Many thanks for link. Interesting study. Need to think about this dilemma .

Maybe read up a lot more about cholesterol first?

 

[covknit]

Can taking statins increase the risk of getting T2 diabetes? I'm pre-diabetic (HbA1c = 42) and not on medication. But recently stopped taking statins for 6 months and noticed a significant drop in my HbA1c readings. Is there any research to support the potential link, or is this drop just a coincidence?

you may find this interesting

 

[RichardofYork]

Maybe read up a lot more about cholesterol first?

Yes will do.. Have just viewed the lecture by Dr Jason Fang on YouTube:

His evidence for a LCHF diet is extremely convincing. Seems amazing that current medical orthodoxy and practice is not following up on this study.

 

[bulkbiker]

Yep that's what I thought too...

 

[dbr10]

Can taking statins increase the risk of getting T2 diabetes? I'm pre-diabetic (HbA1c = 42) and not on medication. But recently stopped taking statins for 6 months and noticed a significant drop in my HbA1c readings. Is there any research to support the potential link, or is this drop just a coincidence?

It's mention in the patient leaflet for Atorvastatin.

 

[Robbity]

Can taking statins increase the risk of getting T2 diabetes? I'm pre-diabetic (HbA1c = 42) and not on medication. But recently stopped taking statins for 6 months and noticed a significant drop in my HbA1c readings. Is there any research to support the potential link, or is this drop just a coincidence?

Not likely to be coincidence and it's a fairly well known side effect, as @Art Of Flowers has already mentioned. Also have a search through the forum for a poll on other statins side effects from about 3 years back - it makes for some very scary reading!

I'd been taking statins for a number of years before i was diagnosed with type 2 at the end of 2013, and I wonder now if they were one of the things that helped push me into becoming diabetic. In the autumn a couple of years back I finally stopped taking them about the same time as I finally came off (also long term!) corticosteroid eye drops. I noticed a reduction of around 1mmol/l in my average readings shortly afterwards, and at first attributed this to no longer being on the eye drops, however some research told me these don't affect glucose levels so I can only "blame" stopping the statins for this improvement.

Robbity

PS I have to laugh now, but at my first appointment with my DN, I said that I'd seen that statins could be implicated in diabetes - her reply "Yes, they're good for you!!" rather left me speechless...

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Not likely to be coincidence and it's a fairly well known side effect, as @Art Of Flowers has already mentioned. Also have a search through the forum for a poll on other statins side effects from about 3 years back - it makes for some very scary reading!

I'd been taking statins for a number of years before i was diagnosed with type 2 at the end of 2013, and I wonder now if they were one of the things that helped push me into becoming diabetic. In the autumn a couple of years back I finally stopped taking them about the same time as I finally came off (also long term!) corticosteroid eye drops. I noticed a reduction of around 1mmol/l in my average readings shortly afterwards, and at first attributed this to no longer being on the eye drops, however some research told me these don't affect glucose levels so I can only "blame" stopping the statins for this improvement.

Robbity

PS I have to laugh now, but at my first appointment with my DN, I said that I'd seen that statins could be implicated in diabetes - her reply "Yes, they're good for you!!" rather left me speechless...

The poll in on this thread ... http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/poll-side-effects-from-statins.58409/
Over 60% of users said they stopped or wanted to stop using Statins because of their side effects. Interesting reading.

 

[Bluetit1802]

As said earlier, you would do better to read up on cholesterol and whether statins are actually needed in your case. It is common practice for all diabetics to be prescribed statins irrespective of any cholesterol issues.

 

[ickihun]

Cholesterol not the only cause of heart disease?

 

[Art Of Flowers]

It is worth watching the film Statin Nation. This is the first 13 minutes. The full film is available on dietdoctor.com if you are a member.

 

[Daphne917]

Can taking statins increase the risk of getting T2 diabetes? I'm pre-diabetic (HbA1c = 42) and not on medication. But recently stopped taking statins for 6 months and noticed a significant drop in my HbA1c readings. Is there any research to support the potential link, or is this drop just a coincidence?

@RichardofYork my hba1c was 48 on diagnosis and I was prescribed statins " because all diabetics should take them" and my hba1c rose to 54. After I came off statins due to other side effects my hba1c decreased to 36 which indicates to me that there is a link.

 

[ickihun]

Oh great! Just started statins but if my next cholesterol blood test is too low it will get stopped! I'll to weigh it up. Less heart disease or less glucose in whole system! Can I win this one?

 

[JTL]

I'm convinced they are to blame for my T2.
Tall thin never put on or lost weight.
Had a slight cholesterol problem put on statins became T2.
I now have a pretty good level of good and bad cholesterol. Not perfect but not to bad. I have porridge for breakfast more or less everyday all year round. That is my heart cholesterol medicine.

 

[Guzzler]

I too have recently started taking Atorvastatin as my cholesterol count was high. What intrigues me is that I was tested for cholesterol over twenty years ago and was told the count was too high. At that time I was a fit, healthy, slim lass and was very active. I am still slim and eat well hence my shock at being dx as T2. Apparently, I have a 42% of having a stroke or heart attack so the doc convinced me to take a statin. I have an appt with the Dnurse tomorrow morning and was hoping to get a lower hba1c result. I wouldn't be unhappy about stopping the statin as it has caused pain in the muscles of my upper arms and shoulders to the point that brushing my hair takes 3-4 attempts.

 

[RichardofYork]

@RichardofYork my hba1c was 48 on diagnosis and I was prescribed statins " because all diabetics should take them" and my hba1c rose to 54. After I came off statins due to other side effects my hba1c decreased to 36 which indicates to me that there is a link.

Many thanks to everyone who responded. I think you are right. There is also reputable medical research that backs this up. Researchers in Finland found that statins were associated with an almost 50% higher risk of developing T2D - even after adjusting the results for all other factors. Statins increase insulin resistance. I no longer take statins. My cholesterol levels went up a little from 2.5 to 3.4 after I stopped, but are now stable and never exceed 4.

 

[bulkbiker]

Apparently, I have a 42% of having a stroke or heart attack so the doc convinced me to take a statin. I have an appt with the Dnurse tomorrow morning and was hoping to get a lower hba1c result. I wouldn't be unhappy about stopping the statin as it has caused pain in the muscles of my upper arms and shoulders to the point that brushing my hair takes 3-4 attempts.

New evidence seems to suggest that lowering cholesterol levels in women especially has a negligible and possibly negative effect on the chances of them living longer. i.e. higher cholesterol levels leads to longer life. There is also current research going on that may well show that cholesterol levels, like blood sugar levels, are dynamic and may change during the day - possibly dependent on what you have eaten. So your Dr or nurse (who is extremely unlikely to know about the fluctuations) will test you and prescribe a drug which they think you should take for life based on a single snapshot of your cholesterol levels at the time of doing the test. Which would be similar to diagnosing diabetes on a single finger prick test. Crazy? maybe but that is what currently happens. Criminal.. again possibly. Please remember what you put in your body is up to you and not up to your HCP's. The benefits of statins for older women are probably non existent (at least that is what my extensive reading has shown). This is just some random person on the internet and I am in no way a medical professional but I would heartily recommend spending some time on researching statins and their "benefits".

 

[lindisfel]

Did he say what risk you would have of a heart attack if you took statins? 42% sounds awfully precise, he must be an incredibly diagnostic medic. It seems that statins cause significant muscle problems in some patients, what concerns me is what taking them has done to my heart muscle..the heart is just a very complicated muscle. I certainly think atorvastatin pushed me over the prediabetic fence into being classed as diabetic! D.