Cholesterol medications increase risk of diabetes, maybe
-People taking the popular cholesterol medications known as “statins” may have a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes. Researchers reported this in the latest issue of the journal Lancet.
Study authors analyzed data from previously published studies that had included statin therapy. This ‘meta-analysis’ study included over 91,000 participants among which 4,278 developed diabetes. Of the participants who developed diabetes, 2,226 were taking statins and 2,052 were not. There appeared to be a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes in the participants who were taking statins. This was equal to a 9% increased risk of developing diabetes over a four year period.
It is hard to make a smart conclusion from this information. This type of study (meta-analysis) is difficult to interpret in that data is really coming from previously published articles that were not directly studying the same outcomes; in this case, the risk of diabetes in people who take statins.
There does not appear to be a physiologic relationship between the activity of statin medications and blood glucose or insulin. This type of study is not very scientific and it is very difficult to make conclusions, especially when it does not make sense.
Cristopher Geiler, MD
References
Lancet 6736(09)61965-6
Posted on February 17, 2010
