An article appearing in the July, 2011 issue of Current Opinion in Cardiology titled “Are statins diabetogenic?” by U.K. Sampson et al. gives us a bit more information on the connection between drugs like Lipitor and new-onset diabetes.
The team writes “Statins are widely utilized for low-density lipoprotein lowering and for prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although these drugs have a good safety record, increased risk of developing diabetes during extended use has recently garnered attention.”
A short article, this study evaluated the findings of the JUPITER study, a study that aimed to clarify the relationship between statins and diabetes, and “The JUPITER findings are supported by two recent meta-analyses of large-scale placebo-controlled and standard care-controlled trials, which, respectively, observed a 9% [odds ratio 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.17] and 13% (risk ratio 1.13; 95% CI 1.03-1.23) increased risk for incident diabetes associated with statin therapy.”
(Statin drugs increase risk for diabetes 9-13%.)
The team continues “ the underlying mechanisms for this association remain unclear,” and concludes “The aggregate of large clinical trials supports the notion that statins modestly increase the risk of incident diabetes. Because diabetes is a risk equivalent condition for coronary and peripheral arterial diseases, these findings create a paradox whereby needed statin therapy may be withheld to avoid excess risk of diabetes while representing the strongest cardiovascular risk reduction tool in diabetics. We simply recommend regular glucose monitoring in patients taking statins.”
Due to the fact that Lipitor manufacturers and the manufacturers of other statin drugs have failed time and again to warn users of the risk for diabetes, a number of Lipitor lawsuits have been filed. If you or a loved one used Lipitor and suffered diabetes, you too may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of Lipitor lawyers at the information provided below. We have the experience, resources, and skills 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.