Individuals who take statins may be at higher risk for developing high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Researchers led by Prof. Bruno Stricker, of the Erasmus Medical Centre, in the Netherlands point out that while there are several epidemiological studies on the association between statins and incident diabetes, most of them lack details. “In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of statin use with glycemic traits and incident type 2 diabetes,” the authors write.
The analysis examined information from 9,535 individuals older than 45 years of age who were free from diabetes at the start of the population-based Rotterdam Study and were followed up to 15 years.
Compared with participants who never used statins, those who used statins tended to have higher concentrations of serum fasting insulin and insulin resistance. Participants who ever used statins had a 38 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the study. This risk was more prominent in individuals with impaired glucose balance and in overweight/obese individuals.
Based on these findings, the authors conclude: “Individuals using statins may be at higher risk for hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Rigorous preventive strategies such as glucose control and weight reduction in patients when initiating statin therapy might help minimizing the risk of diabetes.”
“The findings suggest that in patients who initiate statin therapy, preventive strategies such as blood sugar control and weight loss may be warranted for minimizing the risk of diabetes,” Stricker says.
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