Risk of developing diabetes with Statins is time and dose‐dependent: JAHA

The statins are being increasingly used nowadays for primary prevention of Cardiovascular disease by lowering Low-Density lipoproteins LDL Cholesterol. With studies implicating its use to the development of Diabetes, it is logical for the public to have concerns regarding the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus associated with statins.

According to a new analysis, Individuals who take cholesterol-lowering Drugs, statins may be at higher risk for developing high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes. The risk of developing new‐onset Diabetes is time and dose‐dependent use of statins use. The study has been published in the Journal of American Heart Association.

The study, therefore, advises for "rigorous preventive strategies such as blood sugar control and weight reduction" to be introduced when people are prescribed statin therapy.

In nonrandomized, observational study researchers using healthcare data from the national health insurance examinees, comprised a cohort of adults aged ≥40 years with hypercholesterolemia who would be eligible for statin therapy for primary prevention from 2005 to 2012. The primary outcome was the occurrence of clinically relevant new-onset diabetes mellitus requiring medical therapy.

• From national health insurance data, comparison of 638,625 statin users with 1,523,494 never-users, all aged ≥40 years with hypercholesterolemia.


• Propensity-score matching identified 518,491 matched pairs of statin users and nonusers with similar baseline characteristics during a mean follow-up of 3.9 years.

The researchers found that

• In an average 3.9-year follow-up, new-onset DM occurred in 13.4 vs 6.9/1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.88; 95% CI, 1.85-1.93).


• DM risk increased by statin use duration, with aHR, 2.62 (2.56-2.67) for >2 years vs 1.25 (1.21-1.28) for <1 year.


• By statin intensity, aHR was 2.31 (2.26-2.37) for high vs 1.75 (1.71-1.78) for low.


• By cumulative dose, aHR was 2.52 (2.47-2.57) for the third tertile vs 1.06 (1.02-1.10) for the first tertile.

The researchers concluded that in patients receiving statin therapy for primary prevention, there was a time- and dose-dependent association of statin use with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus.

Given that indications of statin therapy are widely expanding, and more potent and long‐term use of statin is recommended in daily practice, a time‐ and dose‐dependent effect of statin on diabetes mellitus risks remains to be determined and is of particular relevance for primary‐prevention patients.