In 2014, an article published by Kwok Leung Ong et al. titled “Cardiovascular drugs that increase the risk of new-onset diabetes” in Curriculum in Cardiology aimed to further elucidate the connection between statin drugs and new-onset diabetes. Statin drugs are a popular type of cholesterol-lowering medications including Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and many others. Other classes of cholesterol-lowering medications include “niacin, thiazide diuretics, and ß-blockers,” all of which, including statins, have been found to increase the risk for developing diabetes by “9% to 43%”.
The team writes “The mechanisms whereby these drugs increase the risk of NOD are incompletely understood, although different hypotheses have been suggested. Lifestyle intervention consisting of diet and exercise has been shown in multiple studies to reduce the risk of NOD by approximately 50%, with persistent benefit during long-term follow-up. In patients at high risk for NOD, niacin should be avoided, and for hypertension, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or even a ß1-selective blocker might be a better choice than a standard ß-blocker. For thiazide diuretics and particularly statins, benefit in terms of CV event reduction outweighs the risk of NOD.”
Unfortunately, the manufacturers of statin drugs (and others) have failed time and again to warn users of the increased risk for diabetes, regardless of the risk-benefit calculus pertaining to cardiovascular benefit associated with statin use. As a result, a number of Lipitor diabetes lawsuits have been filed.
If you or a loved one used Lipitor or another cholesterol drug and suffered diabetes as a result, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation for your injury. 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.