Lipitor and diabetes connection?

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

I’ve come across some sites (and cites) that there is a connection between Lipitor and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes–and that there is (are) class action lawsuit(s) as the result. It would seem to be that there would very likely be a connection: People who take (cholesterol drug) Lipitor might be more inclined to have “high risk” diets, which would put them also at a greater chance for developing Type 2 diabetes. Or do these “studies” purport that even adjusting for that, that there appears to be an increased risk? (Sorry, too much stuff to wade thru on my own.)

[KarlGauss]

I don’t have time to answer fully but will paste below an e-mail I sent to my sister who asked the same thing a while back (i.e the papers were now published almost two years ago):

Here are two relevant summaries regarding statins (Lipitor and the like) and diabetes:

Statins and the risk of new-onset diabetes: a review of recent evidence - PubMed (Key point, “(by using lipitor/statins) one additional patient developed diabetes for every three patients protected from a major cardiovascular event (such as heart attack or stroke”)

Risk of incident diabetes with intensive-dose compared with moderate-dose statin therapy: a meta-analysis - PubMed (note this is about HIGH dose lipitor/statins and even then it raised the sugar in only one in 498 people per year, yet only 155 people per year needed to be treated to prevent a heart attack or stroke). Again, this is for HIGH doses.

[lazybratsche]

This study found that specific statins (the class of drugs that Lipitor is in) have higher diabetes risks than others. In particular, Lipitor was associated with the highest diabetes rates, vs Mevacor with the lowest diabetes rates. At first glance, it looks like Lipitor has a ~20% higher diabetes risk than Mevacor. Even after adjusting for other diabetes risks, Lipitor is still associated with a ~10% increase in diabetes risk.

Looks real to me, and pretty astounding given the number of people on statins. In this study alone, it looks like there are thousands of cases of diabetes due to statin use.

[HoneyBadgerDC]

I have seen some of my friends appear to waste away once on statins, Loose maybe 30# and a lot of muscle mass and tone. Is this a side effect generally observed as well?

[Surreal]

Here’s a study that looked at Atorvastatin (Lipitor) specifically:

Atorvastatin causes insulin resistance and increases ambient glycemia in...

OBJECTIVES:
We investigated whether atorvastatin might decrease insulin sensitivity and increase ambient glycemia in hypercholesterolemic patients.

BACKGROUND:
Clinical trials suggest that some statin treatments might increase the incidence of diabetes despite reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and improvement in endothelial dysfunction.

METHODS:
A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study was conducted in 44 patients taking placebo and in 42, 44, 43, and 40 patients given daily atorvastatin 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg, respectively, during a 2-month treatment period.

RESULTS:
Atorvastatin 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg significantly reduced LDL cholesterol (39%, 47%, 52%, and 56%, respectively) and apolipoprotein B levels (33%, 37%, 42%, and 46%, respectively) after 2 months of therapy when compared with either baseline (all p < 0.001 by paired t test) or placebo (p < 0.001 by analysis of variance [ANOVA]). Atorvastatin 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg significantly increased fasting plasma insulin (mean changes: 25%, 42%, 31%, and 45%, respectively) and glycated hemoglobin levels (2%, 5%, 5%, and 5%, respectively) when compared with either baseline (all p < 0.05 by paired t test) or placebo (p = 0.009 for insulin and p = 0.008 for glycated hemoglobin by ANOVA). Atorvastatin 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg decreased insulin sensitivity (1%, 3%, 3%, and 4%, respectively) when compared with either baseline (p = 0.312, p = 0.008, p < 0.001, and p = 0.008, respectively, by paired t test) or placebo (p = 0.033 by ANOVA).

CONCLUSIONS:
Despite beneficial reductions in LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, atorvastatin treatment resulted in significant increases in fasting insulin and glycated hemoglobin levels consistent with insulin resistance and increased ambient glycemia in hypercholesterolemic patients. (Effects of Atorvastatin on Adiponectin Levels and Insulin Sensitivity In Hypercholesterolemic Patients; NCT00745836).

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

Thanks, all.

[Hari_Seldon]

I know that my doctor believes strongly in statins, but did not prescribe lipitor for me, although he put me on two others. I do have mild diabetes (well controlled with metformin).

[TriPolar]

I used to think they’d only recommend lipitor and similar drugs when the danger from high cholesterol outweighed the risk from treatment with medication. From what people are telling me, that’s not so true, and people are asking for it so they don’t have to diet and get in shape. I hope that’s not what’s really happening.

[Wesley_Clark]

On the subject of CVD pharmacology and T2DM, thiazide diuretics can also increase your risk of type II diabetes by lowering potassium levels.

Thiazide diuretics, potassium, and the development of diabetes: a...

Diuretics may increase diabetes risk by lowering blood potassium levels -...

Results of this study suggest that the increased risk of type 2 diabetes associated with thiazide diuretics is indeed linked to their action on blood potassium levels. In fact, results showed that for each 0.5 milliequivalent-per-liter (MEq/L) decrease in serum potassium, there was a 45% increased risk of diabetes.

I’m sure lots of people are getting statins and diuretics to stave off CVD, which increases their risk of type II diabetes which increases risk of CVD. Medicine is fun.

HoneyBadgerDC taking Coenzyme Q10 along with a statin is probably a good idea, lowered levels of CoQ10 can contribute to the side effects of statins. I don’t know if it’ll stop the wasting, but the enzyme that synthesizes cholesterol also synthesizes CoQ10.