Statin Use Increases Risk of Developing Diabetes

A new study shows that use of statins is associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes, even after adjustment for confounding factors.

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu, Finland) and Kuopio University Hospital (KUH, Finland), conducted a study to investigate the risk of type 2 diabetes associated with statin treatment in 8,749 nondiabetic participants (mean age 45-73 years) of the population-based Metabolic Syndrome in Men (METSIM) study. During the median 5.9 year follow-up period, new diabetes was diagnosed in 625 men. The authors also evaluated changes in insulin resistance and insulin secretion with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-derived indices.

The results showed that after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and other life style and physiological factors, patients treated with statins were 46% more likely to develop diabetes than those not treated with statins were. The risk was dose-dependent for simvastatin and atorvastatin. Insulin sensitivity was decreased by 24% and insulin secretion by 12% in individuals on statin treatment, and were also dose-dependent for simvastatin and atorvastatin. The study was published on March 10, 2015, in Diabetologia.

“The association of statin use with increased risk of developing diabetes is most likely directly related to statins decreasing both insulin sensitivity and secretion,” concluded lead author Prof. Markku Laakso, MD, of the KUH Institute of Clinical Medicine, and colleagues. “Statin therapy was associated with a 46% increased risk of type 2 diabetes after adjustment for confounding factors, suggesting a higher risk of diabetes in the general population than previously reported.”

Statins lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver. Randomized controlled trials have shown that they are most effective in those with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with questionable benefit in those without previous CVD but with elevated cholesterol levels. Statins have rare but severe adverse effects, particularly muscle damage, and some doctors believe they are overprescribed. Atorvastatin, marketed as Lipitor and manufactured by Pfizer (New York, NY, USA), is the best-selling pharmaceutical in history.

Related Links:
University of Eastern Finland
Kuopio University Hospital