Major new study finds statins benefits outweigh diabetes risks

Major new study finds statins benefits outweigh diabetes risks

Statins lower the level of cholesterol which is produced in the liver, thereby reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks, and are now the most prescribed drug on the NHS.

According to the study, involving 130,000 people and published in the Lancet medical journal, the risk of developing diabetes when taking the drug was “small” and the benefits of taking statins outweigh the risks.

The study is considered to be the best evidence so far that the work of statins and the genetic testing of potential patients to determine their risk of developing diabetes is unnecessary.

Professor Aroon Hingorani, director of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science and co-senior author, says “The genetic findings of our study help to explain the mechanism by which statins increase weight and diabetes risk.

“However, the effects of the genetic variants are orders of magnitude lower than the effects of statins. There is also no indication from this study that an individual’s genetic make-up will meaningfully affect their clinical response to statin treatment. Statin drugs should continue to be prescribed without the need for any form of genetic testing.”

The study, which has been supported by the British Heart Foundation, concluded that if patients took statins over a period of four years, they were 12 per cent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and also to gain around half a pound in weight.

Dr David Preiss, from Glasgow Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, and co-author of the report, said “Weight gain is a risk factor for diabetes which might explain the small increased risk of diabetes observed in people taking statins.”

Professor Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences and co-senior author, said “Previous analyses have indicated that the cardiovascular benefits of statin treatment greatly outweigh the risk of new onset type 2 diabetes.

“Nevertheless, many patients eligible for statin treatment would also benefit from lifestyle changes including increased physical activity, eating more healthily and stopping smoking.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), Medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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