Cholesterol lowering drugs may increase diabetes risk

Research has shown that the post popular cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Statins are the most prescribed drugs in the world. Lipitor is the best known brand and it is one of the highest selling drugs. However, a review of medical literature has found that statins are associated with a nine percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The higher the dose, the greater the association with type 2 diabetes.

A high dose of a statin is considered to be 60 to 80 mg per day, whereas a low dose is 10 to 20 mg per day. Statins can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in certain susceptible people (mostly men over the age of 50), and they also reduce inflammation to some degree by lowering blood levels of C-reactive protein.

Unfortunately statins are also well known for causing several unpleasant and potentially harmful side effects. Before I describe those, I’d like to point out that this research doesn’t conclusively prove that statin drugs cause diabetes; it only shows an association. In general, people who take statins are overweight (particularly around their abdomen), they may have high blood pressure and they probably eat a lot of carbohydrate. They are all risk factors for type 2 diabetes. These people may have gone on to develop diabetes anyway, and their doctor would probably have recommended a higher dose of statins for them.

Other problems associated with statin drugs

Cholesterol is an extremely important substance that has many vital functions in your body. You need adequate cholesterol in order for your immune system and brain to function properly. Focusing on getting cholesterol levels down is a convenient way for drug companies to ensure steady profits, but it is not the best way to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol lowering drugs are associated with the following problems:

--Mood changes, particularly depression. Your brain is largely made of fat, and studies have shown that cholesterol lowering drugs may reduce serotonin levels in your brain. Adequate serotonin is vital for a happy mood.

--Muscle aches and pains. Statin drugs are notorious for causing this side effect. It is more likely to occur in people who exercise regularly and people taking a high dose of a statin. Taking a co enzyme Q10 supplement can partially remedy this symptom in many cases.

--Liver inflammation. Statins can cause raised liver enzymes, meaning they can cause damage to liver cells. This is especially problematic for people with a fatty liver because they often already have raised liver enzymes. Having a fatty liver makes it more likely that you will have high cholesterol and triglycerides. Statin drugs are obviously not the solution.

--Hormone imbalance. Cholesterol is a steroid molecule and your sex hormones are steroids as well. Therefore cholesterol is a building block for several hormones in your body. People taking cholesterol lowering drugs are prone to hormone deficiencies.

You can read more about cholesterol and heart disease in our book Cholesterol: The Real Truth

Reference: Current Opinion in Lipidology, December 2011;22(6):460-466