The risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to statins is modest, a new study by the British researchers states. This large-scale study delved more into the analysis done by previous researches that found increased type 2 diabetes risk associated with statin use.
Statins are generally prescribed for people with high cholesterol to reduce heart attack risk. According to Mayo Clinic, side effects related to statin use are limited to certain people. People at risk of these side effects are women, individuals on multiple medications to reduce cholesterol, those with smaller body frame, adults aged 65 or above, kidney or liver disease patients, diabetics and binge drinkers.
Researchers at the University College London and the University of Glasgow examined almost 130,000 participants from clinical trials. These participants were previously tested for the effect of statins on heart disease and stroke (major vascular events) and were found to have a small increase in risk of developing type 2 diabetes of about 12 percent over a four-year period, and also to gain an excess of 240g (around half a pound) in weight.
According to David Preiss of the University of Glasgow Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, weight gain is a risk factor for diabetes which might explain the small increased risk of diabetes observed in people taking statins.
The researchers examining the mechanism found that statins work by reducing the efficiency of a liver enzyme involved in cholesterol production that in turn leads to liver cells catching more low-density lipoprotein (LDL-) cholesterol from the bloodstream. It then reduces the circulating level. This mechanism is thought to underlie the efficacy of statins in lowering the risk of major vascular events.
Co-senior author Professor Aroon Hingorani, director of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science said, "... 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 was published in The Lancet.
