Statin use is associated with an 18% increased risk of diabetes

This study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2013 Apr;75(4):1118-24

 

Study title and authors:

Statins and risk of treated incident diabetes in a primary care population.

Zaharan NL, Williams D, Bennett K.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22845189

The aims of this study were to:
(i) Examine the incidence of new onset diabetes in patients treated with different types of statins. 
(ii) Examine the relationship between the duration and dose of statins and the subsequent development of new onset diabetes.

The study included 1,235,671 individuals who were followed for eight years.

The study found:
(a) Statin use was associated with an 18% increased risk of new onset diabetes.
(b) There was a statistically significant overall dose and duration effect increase in new onset diabetes for all statins, excepting fluvastatin, which only demonstrated a duration effect.

The researchers concluded: "An increased risk of new onset treated diabetes was found in those treated with statins showing significant duration and dose effect".