Hi, I’m a type 1 diabetic, 42 years of age, was diagnosed 24 years ago. I’ve just had a diabetes check, over the phone, with a nurse practitioner, as part of my gp diabetes annual check.
The practitioner prescribed me statins, because she said they give them to all diabetics over 40. I found this to be quite a shock. I’ve have no blood tests recently to check my cholesterol or anything like that, should I have been prescribed them? I’m healthy, I have a good diet, I exercise 2-3 times a week with a trainer and at my hospital diabetes check up in November, I was in target for 70% of the time.
I feel like I’ve just been given this medicine as standard, instead of anyone looking at me as an individual. Is this normal for diabetes patients?
Firstly I think any advice or consideration to this issue will be completely different based on whether you are Type 1 or Type 2. Two different conditions, two different body systems and medications, two different durations when you reach age 40 / 50.
As you are Type 1, as I have been for the last 41 years since diagnosis age 26, my experience is similar. I was first offered statins aged 50 I think and it seemed to be a similar standard offer from my GP. My cholesterol results were good, hbA1C reasonable, and I was and am very fit, reegularly running half marathons and marathons and also triathlons, with a resting heart rate of 50. As one of the publicised complications at this time was muscle cramps, which I really needed to avoid with my running training, I discussed this with my GP and we agreed that we would defer the statins,, but reconsider after 3-4 years.
This offer of statins and reconsideration was repeated through my fifties and early sixties, but cholesterol results were still good, so i questioned what help they would do to me and we always agreed to reconsider later again. Mid sixties I had intensive investigation of my heart under private health after a small arrhythmia (
an abnormal heart rhythm) was noted at an employer health check. Arteries were clear and all tests found no further problem, but I did accept the prescription of statins and some other preventative drugs. I was advised the modern statins (Atorvastatin) had been improved and the incidence of muscle cramps had been reduced, but it I still accepted this on trial.
So I have had no side effects I'm glad to say, and although I was very reluctant, it probably was the sensible choice. despite using insulin for 41 years, i really don't like taking medicines. In your case i would try to have the discussion as to what advantges statins offer in your personal circumstances. As long as you have better than average blood results, I'm not sure there is any advantage at this point in time. Just don't make it a final decision as you can always change later. Obviously I am not medically qualified, just 40 years experience and a computer analyst by trade so very analytical. Also try to get some real researched and proven feedback on side effects, not what someone moans about on Facebook or similar.