Statins use related to slight increased diabetes risk

January 01, 0001

Statins use related to slight increased diabetes risk

Trials of statin therapy have had conflicting findings on the risk of development of diabetes mellitus in patients given statins. The authors from the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, USA, Italy, Norway and Japan aimed to establish by a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data whether any relation exists between statin use and development of diabetes. They searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1994 to 2009, for randomised controlled endpoint trials of statins.

They identified 13 statin trials with 91,140 participants, of whom 4278 (2226 assigned statins and 2052 assigned control treatment) developed diabetes during a mean of 4 years. Statin therapy was associated with a 9% increased risk for incident diabetes (odds ratio, OR 1.09). Treatment of 255 patients with statins for 4 years resulted in one extra case of diabetes.

The researchers concluded: "Statin therapy is associated with a slightly increased risk of development of diabetes, but the risk is low both in absolute terms and when compared with the reduction in coronary events. Clinical practice in patients with moderate or high cardiovascular risk or existing cardiovascular disease should not change."

As the authors say, the risk of developing diabetes due to the statin use is low in absolute terms and less of a concern when compared with the reduction in coronary events seen with statins.


For the full abstract, click here.

The Lancet published online 17 February 2010 © 2010 Elsevier Ltd
Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomised statin trials. Naveed Sattar, David Preiss, Heather M Murray.

Category: K. Circulatory, T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional Keywords: statins, diabetes, risk, collaborative metaanalysis of randomised statin trials, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia. Posted on Global Family Doctor 12 March 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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