With cardiovascular disease being so prevalent today, many medications have been created to treat these diseases. One such group of medications is statins, which includes medications like Lipitor, Crestor, and others. Statins are prescribed to treat cardiovascular conditions because they are designed to lower blood cholesterol levels. The primary mechanism by which they lower cholesterol is by inhibiting an enzyme that is required for cholesterol production in the liver. Statins, however have been associated with some adverse side effects. One side effect of statin use includes an increased risk for the development of diabetes mellitus (DM).
One study that was conducted to explore the association between statin use and DM, specifically in postmenopausal women, was conducted by AL Culver et al. and was published in Archives of Internal Medicine in 2012. The title of the report is “Statin use and risk of diabetes mellitus in postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative.” According to the authors of the report “This study investigates whether the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with statin use among postmenopausal women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI).”
They study included 153,840 postmenopausal women between the ages 50 and 79; none of them were suffering from DM initially. 7.04% reported taking statin medication. The data showed that statin use was associated with an increased risk of DM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.71; 95% CI, 1.61-1.83). This means that people who used statin drugs such as Lipitor were 70% more likely to develop diabetes than similar people who had not used Lipitor. This association remained after adjusting for other potential confounding factors that could have caused the difference. Furthermore, this association was observed for all types of statin medications.
Ultimately, the data showed that statin use was strongly linked to an increase in the incidence of DM. The authors stated “Statin medication use in postmenopausal women is associated with an increased risk for DM. This may be a medication class effect. Further study by statin type and dose may reveal varying risk levels for new-onset DM in this population.”
Since Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor – one of the most commonly-used drugs in the US – has failed time and again to warn users of the risks associated with its medication, a number of Lipitor lawsuits and statin lawsuits are currently being filed. If you or a loved one used Lipitor and were recently diagnosed with diabetes, you too may be entitled to significant financial compensation.
For a free, no-obligation Lipitor lawsuit consultation, contact our team of Lipitor lawyers at the information provided below. We have the skills, resources, and experience required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help!
(855) 452 – 5529
Our Lipitor Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about Lipitor.