This study was published in Drug Safety 2016 Mar 15
Study title and authors:
Long-Term Outcomes of Short-Term Statin Use in Healthy Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Mansi IA, English J, Zhang S, Mortensen EM, Halm EA.
Medicine Services, VA North Texas Health Care System, 4500 S. Lancaster Rd #111E, Dallas, TX, 75216, USA.
Ishak.Mansi@va.gov.
This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26979831
The objective of the study was to examine the associations of short-term statin use (less than one year) with adverse events and cardiovascular outcomes in 'healthy' people. The study matched 1,525 statin users to 1,525 nonusers who were followed for six years.
(i) Statin users used statins for 90-365 days during 2005 as their only prescription medication.
(ii) Nonusers had medical encounters but did not receive prescription medications during 2005, and did not receive any statins throughout the study period.
The study found:
(a) Statin users had a 93% increased risk of developing diabetes compared to nonusers.
(b) Statin users had a 115% increased risk of developing diabetic complications compared to nonusers.
(c) Statin users had a 17% increased risk of suffering major acute cardiovascular events compared to nonusers.
Mansi concluded: "Short-term statin use for primary prevention in this healthy cohort was associated with an increased risk of long-term diabetes and diabetic complications without cardiovascular benefits."
Links to other studies:
Statin use associated with a 101% increased risk of diabetes
Statins increase the risk of diabetes by 46%
Statin use is associated with an increased risk of type two diabetes, which increases with longer duration of use
