High-dose statins increase the risk of diabetes...very slightly, study says

Intensive therapy with cholesterol-lowering statins increases the risk of developing diabetes slightly, but reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease more, Scottish researchers reported Tuesday. High doses of the drugs can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by about 12%, but reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by about 15%, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Common statins include Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, Vytorin, Mevacor and Pravachol.

Epidemiologist David Preiss of the University of Glasgow and his colleagues examined the results from five studies in which 32,752 non-diabetic participants were given statins for an average of 4.9 years. Roughly half were given high doses of statins, about 80 milligrams per day, and half were given lower doses, ranging from 20 to 40 milligrams per day. During the follow-up period, 2,749 of the subjects developed diabetes -- 1,449 in the intensive-dose group and 1,300 in the moderate-dose group. During that same period, 6,684 experienced a major cardiovascular event -- 3,134 in the intensive-dose group and 3,550 in the moderate-dose group.

Overall, the researchers concluded, for every 498 subjects who were treated with the high-dose regimen there was one new case of diabetes, while 155 had to be treated with it to produce one fewer cardiovascular event.

The group did not warn against using the high-dose regimens. Instead, they cautioned physicians prescribing them to be vigilant for the early signs of diabetes in their patients and to treat it when it appears.