Some statins 'raise diabetes risk'

[AlisonM]

From Aunty today

Some drugs taken to protect the heart may increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, according to researchers in Canada.

Their study of 1.5 million people, in the British Medical Journal, suggested powerful statins could increase the risk by 22% compared with weaker drugs.

Atorvastatin was linked to one extra case of diabetes for every 160 patients treated.

Experts said the benefits of statins still outweighed any risks.../

 

[LeeLee]

Shame there wasn't anything on the effect of statins on those of us who were prescribed them after diagnosis.

 

[DeusXM]

It's a bit chicken and egg though.

Insulin levels affect cholesterol production.

Those with high insulin levels from insulin resistance tend to produce more cholesterol than normal people.

So logically if someone doesn't appear to have diabetes but has a high cholesterol level that needs treating with statins, it could be that they are already developing insulin resistance and on their way to developing diabetes, rather than the simplistic 'statins cause diabetes' argument that gets put forward. It's a bit like saying tyre marks cause car accidents.

If someone has high cholesterol levels and a doctor wants to put them on statins, they should have a c-peptide test done as a matter of course to see if the issue is actually insulin resistance. That could then lead to an intervention which could actually help prevent the full development of diabetes.