Recently, an article published in The American Journal of Cardiology titled “Risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus versus reduction in cardiovascular events with statin therapy.” provided important insight into the connection between statin drugs (Lipitor, Crestor, others) and new-onset diabetes.
KL Wang et al. (2014) write “The Food and Drug Administration recently updated the safety warning concerning the association between statin therapy and new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM)” and “For prediabetes, little information is available for statins on cardiovascular outcome reduction and diabetogenic consequences.” As such, “This study aimed to examine the risk of NODM and the reduction of cardiovascular events and death (MACE) after statin therapy in the prediabetic subjects.”
To establish a study cohort, this team used anonymous records from the Taiwan National Health Insurance agency and “A propensity score-matched model was constructed for statin users and nonusers.” Overall, “Statin therapy was associated with a greater risk of NODM (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.32) and less risk of MACE (hazard ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 0.80), both in dose-dependent fashions.”
In non-scientific terms, this means that the rate of diabetes was increased by 20% among statin users, while the risk for cardiovascular events and death was lowered. The latter part makes intuitive sense, for this is the overall aim of the drug. While it is good that the drug performs its intended purpose, it is important that all users be aware of risks associated with any drug. Unfortunately, the manufacturers of Lipitor, a very prominent statin drug, have failed to include adequate diabetes warnings on Lipitor packaging.
As a result, a number of Lipitor lawsuits have been filed. If you or loved one used Lipitor and suffered diabetes as a result, you 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.
(855) 452 – 5529
Our Lipitor Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about Lipitor.