Statin use associated with a 93% increased risk of diabetes

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

Statins increase the risk of serious adverse cardiovascular events

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2007 Mar 28;297(12):1344-53

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of rosuvastatin on progression of carotid intima-media thickness in low-risk individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis: the METEOR Trial.

Crouse JR 3rd, Raichlen JS, Riley WA, Evans GW, Palmer MK, O'Leary DH, Grobbee DE, Bots ML; METEOR Study Group.

Department of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. jrcrouse@wfubmc.edu

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17384434

This study investigated the effects of statins in participants with a low risk of heart disease. The two year study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 984 individuals, average age 57 years. The participants received either a daily 40-mg dose of rosuvastatin or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Cholesterol levels reduced by 33% in the statin users and remained the same in those on placebo.
(b) Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels reduced by 49% in the statin users and remained the same in those on placebo.
(c) Statin users had a 21% increased risk of death compared to placebo.
(d) Statin users had a 423% increased risk of a serious adverse cardiovascular event compared to placebo.
(e) Statin users had a 4% increased risk of any adverse event compared to placebo.
(f) Statin users had a 5% increased risk of developing cancer compared to placebo.
(g) Statin users had a 5% increased risk of muscle pain compared to placebo.
(h) Statin users had a 121% increased risk of elevated liver enzymes compared to placebo.
(i) Statin users had a 56% increased risk of developing arthritis compared to placebo.



Statin major adverse effects have been under-reported and the way in which they withheld from the public, and even concealed, is a scientific farce

This paper was published in the Open Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Vol. 3 No. 3, 2013, pp. 179-185

 

Study title and authors:

The Ugly Side of Statins. Systemic Appraisal of the Contemporary Un-Known Unknowns

S. Sultan and N. Hynes

 

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=34065

This paper undertook a comprehensive review of the scientific literature for articles relating to cardiovascular primary prevention and statin side effects.

 

The review found:

(a) There is a categorical lack of clinical evidence to support the use of statin therapy in primary prevention.

(b) Not only is there a dearth of evidence for primary cardiovascular protection, there is ample evidence to show that statins actually augment cardiovascular risk in women, patients with Diabetes Mellitus and in the young.

(c) Statins are associated with triple the risk of coronary artery and aortic artery calcification.
(d) There is increased risk of diabetes mellitus, cataract formation, and erectile dysfunction in young statin users.
(e) There is a significant increase in the risk of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders in the elderly plus an enhanced risk of a myriad of infectious diseases.
(f) A review of the use of statins found evidence of selective reporting of outcomes and failure to report adverse events.

Sultan concluded: "These finding on statin major adverse effects had been under-reported and the way in which they withheld from the public, and even concealed, is a scientific farce".