One of the Most Prescribed Statins Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Finds
SEOUL, South Korea — A new study warns that one of the most frequently prescribed statins, medications used to lower cholesterol levels, increases the risk of developing diabetes. The study found that while two popular cholesterol-lowering drugs effectively decrease the chances of heart attack or stroke, one of them, Rosuvastatin, elevates the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The study, called LODESTAR, analyzed the results of a clinical trial involving 4,400 adults diagnosed with coronary artery disease across 12 South Korean hospitals. The participants were randomly assigned to take either rosuvastatin or atorvastatin over a three-year period from September 2016 to November 2019.
Researchers found no significant differences between the two groups in terms of overall death rates, heart attacks, strokes, or any revascularization procedures. However, the rosuvastatin group had a slightly lower average LDL cholesterol level throughout the study. On the other hand, the rosuvastatin participants had a higher incidence of Type 2 diabetes requiring medication and a higher percentage needed cataract surgery compared to the atorvastatin group. Despite these findings, other safety results remained consistent between the two groups.
The study, published in The BMJ, acknowledges its limitations, including the fact that it only involved Asian participants and the three-year duration may not fully capture the long-term effects of the two statin types. The researchers emphasize that cautious interpretation of the findings is necessary, and further research with extended monitoring is needed.
Statins are commonly prescribed to patients with coronary artery disease to lower LDL cholesterol levels, commonly known as “bad” cholesterol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 35 million people in the United States take statin drugs.
Professor Myeong-Ki Hong, the study’s author from Yonsei University College of Medicine, states, “In people with coronary artery disease, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin showed comparable efficacy in terms of a composite of all cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or any coronary revascularization within three years. Rosuvastatin was associated with lower LDL cholesterol levels, but it incurred a higher risk of new onset diabetes mellitus requiring antidiabetics and cataract surgery than atorvastatin.”
Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects and risks associated with different statins.
South West News Service writer Stephen Beech contributed to this report.