Posted on 06/24/2011 12:49:46 PM PDT by freespirited
The risk of developing type 2 diabetes rises with increasing doses of statin therapy, according to the findings of a large meta-analysis in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA.
"Our findings suggest that clinicians should be vigilant for the development of diabetes in patients receiving intensive statin therapy," said Dr. David Preiss of the BHF Glasgow (Scotland) Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, and his associates.
Several recent studies have suggested that statin therapy may raise the risk of diabetes, and some have indicated that the risk is higher at higher doses of the drugs.
Dr. Preiss and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of five large (at least 1,000 subjects each) randomized clinical trials that compared moderate-dose with intensive-dose statin therapy and followed patients for a minimum of 1 year. These trials were intended to compare cardiovascular outcomes, but they also tracked adverse events, blood glucose levels, and the use of diabetes medications, so cases of new-onset diabetes could be identified.
Overall, 32,752 subjects who did not have diabetes at baseline were followed for a mean of 5 years. During that time 2,749 subjects (8%) developed diabetes.
There were 149 more cases of diabetes among subjects taking intensive statin therapy than in those taking moderate statin therapy, for an odds ratio of 1.1.
"In absolute terms, there were two additional cases of diabetes per 1,000 patient-years among those receiving intensive-dose therapy (mean 18.9 cases per 1,000 patient-years with high-dose statin treatment vs. 16.9 cases per 1,000 patient-years with moderate-dose therapy), corresponding to a number needed to harm of 498 per year," the investigators said.
This dose-response relationship persisted across several subgroups of patients, regardless of age, HDL cholesterol level, body mass index, and fasting plasma glucose level at baseline. The dose-response relationship also was comparable between subjects receiving simvastatin and those receiving atorvastatin, Dr. Preiss and his associates said (JAMA 2011;305:2556-64).
However, more intensive statin therapy also provided clear cardiovascular benefits compared with less intensive statin therapy. "When expressed in absolute terms, there was one additional case of diabetes for every 498 patients treated for 1 year, compared with one fewer patient experiencing a cardiovascular event for every 155 patients treated for 1 year," they noted.
"We hypothesize that given that cardiovascular risk from diabetes is modest in the first decade after diagnosis, and as the benefit of statin therapy increases over time and in absolute terms with increasing age, net cardiovascular benefit in high-risk individuals will still strongly favor statin therapy," the investigators said.
The mechanism by which statins raise diabetes risk is not known. The data on subgroups in this meta-analysis do not shed light on the issue since all subgroups were at comparable risk.
Future research should examine "the impact of statin therapy on glycemic control, and treatment requirements in patients with established diabetes," they added.
Dr. Preiss’s associates reported ties to numerous industry sources.
Thanks for posting. It seems more and more people I know are being diagnosed with diabetes. Don’t know if it’s just age genes, or maybe it does relate to zocor that even more folks I know are taking. Will track also.
Bump
Thanks for posting. I’ll alert my family. I can’t take them because of rhabdomyolysis. I guess one side effect may have finally worked in my favor!
ping
It’s amusing to me that every time I see a commercial on TV for a new “wonder” drug that’s being marketed, the narrator spends more time stating what the negative side-effects of the drug are (some of which are life threatening) then the supposed benefits of taking the drug.
I think this is mandated by the FDA and I have to agree that this is a valid requirement.
It was recently reported that statins reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
“Am watching this closely as my a1c has been going up lately”
Was on Zocor for several years...got a frozen shoulder, severe leg pains, bottom of feet on fire, “forgetting” to breathe, spasms in throat where I was seriously choking, insomia, high sugar, peeing all night, and worst of all was the inabilility to put a sentence together and loss of volcabulary. Had to stop writing my monthly column for a conservative newspaper. I was positive I had dementia. After a foot doctor, chiropractor, and a reflexologist told me they couldn’t see anything wrong with me, I researched problems with statins online and immediately stopped taking them. Within a week, my brain started working again, pains went away, breathing and choking problems cleared up, sugar went down, and get up only once a night, if that If anyone ever suggests I go back on statins, I’ll hit ‘em, or cuss ‘em good.
I tell you people medicine is killing us. Just found out today that my husband who has a congestive heart has been having side effects from a medication prescribed for his type2 diabetes, which in turn I believe was caused by the statins he takes for the colesterol, which I believe causes liver and kidney problems. The side effects have been (over a year now) shortness of breath, which another doctor diagnosed as sleep apnia, ballooning weight gain, etc. He hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in that year’s time using the sleep machine. And on and on it goes while I’m screaming, get off the d...m medicine and diet and exercise and you will be much better. Finally today the stupid doctor decided it might the the diabetic meds that are causing his problems. Duh! Lord, deliver me from doctors and their medicine. Only if I need sewing up do I go to a hospital. I’m so angry I could spit nails.
Don’t take it for granted. Look it up online and study up on it. We looked up the medicine that my hubby was taking and all the side effects they listed, he said he had every one of them. Do the research folks.
I was taking Pravastatin, I had mild memory loss, but my memory has slightly improved when I stopped taking it.
My cholesterol was on the upper side of normal, I’m going to go back to the doctor in a few months after taking myself off of Pravastatin and see where my cholesterol is, I’ve dropped 15 lbs. since I last took it, I think the loss of weight might be a better way of controlling cholesterol levels than taking medicine.
With all the possible, or acknowledged side affects of all these so-called wonder drugs, I think I’d rather take my chances without them.
I don’t worry about my cholesterol levels any more. My dad’s was over 300 for decades. He didn’t do a thing about it and lived until he was 99. I do a good grade fish oil (Ultimate Omega, no fishy taste or burps) and a couple of enzymes that are supposed to keep your blood from clogging up the works.
Wow! Thank goodness you did the research on your own!
Good for you! By the sound of things, you saved your own life!
I finally got my hubby on fish oil. I tried for years and he complained of the fishy taste. He just started taking Mega Red krill oil a couple of months ago.
My relative developed kidney stones while on statins.No family history. After watching relatives live into their 80’s-90’s on a truckload of drugs with a low quality of life, I would say there is something to be said for going fast with a heart attack without drugs....If you can live that long “naturally”, that’s a plus.
Break the cycle, go low carb.
WOW! Scary stuff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.