Cholesterol Meds Associated with 9% Increased Risk of Developing Diabetes

I consider the benefits of most medications used to lower cholesterol (called “statin medications”) to be modest at best in those without known heart disease (called “primary prevention”). These medications lower heart attack death risk by less than 2%. To put this in perspective, having optimal thyroid levels, even when normal, is associated with a 69% lower risk of heart attack death. Even owning a cat is associated with a 30% lower risk. Despite these minimal benefits, the relatively high expense (costing the health care system over $12 billion a year), and the aggravating pain and fatigue that accompanies their use in some patients, they are being heavily pushed — even being heavily marketed to pediatricians now.

I suspect this would not be happening if the medications were not so profitable, as controlling high blood pressure, decreasing excess sugar intake, exercising, stopping smoking and even eating fish are likely more heart protective than the medications — but simply less profitable.

Now a major new meta analysis using data from 13 clinical trials with 91,140 participants shows these medications are associated with a 9% increased risk of developing diabetes.

It is a good idea, of course, to follow your doctor’s advice. But it’s also OK to recognize that they are being targeted with massive amounts of drug company promotion, including conferences described by some as “advertisements masquerading as scientific activities.” The review of this study at Medscape, one of the best information sources out there for physicians, is an example of this problem. The reviewer has received money from several companies that manufacture these medications. To me, his “editorial” began to sound like a sales pitch for the drug companies, but his information is presented as science. One would have thought that Medscape could have found an expert somewhere to review the study who has not received money from the involved drug companies. But then, maybe they couldn't.

If you have a known heart problem, the benefits of these medications go way up. If not, it is OK to ask your doctor if improving diet, avoiding sugar, exercising, eating oily fish (tuna and salmon 3-4x week) and stopping smoking may be more beneficial.

To learn more, see Lower Your Cholesterol — Naturally.

Reference

Sattar N, Preiss D, Murray HM, et al, Statins and Risk of Incident Diabetes: A Collaborative Meta-analysis of Randomised Statin Trials. Lancet. 2010;375:735-742. Epub 2010 Feb 16.