Folks who take Lipitor in higher does may face a slightly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes according to a recent study published this week -- generically as atorvastatin) and other cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to a small increase in users' risk of diabetes.
The study does seem to suggest that risks may exist among those who may likewise have the well established risk factors for type 2 diabetes -- including excess weight, high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and high blood pressure.
From the Journal site:
Objectives: We sought to examine the incidence and clinical predictors of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) within 3 large randomized trials with atorvastatin.
Background: Statin therapy might modestly increase the risk of new-onset T2DM.
Methods: We used a standard definition of diabetes and excluded patients with prevalent diabetes at baseline. We identified baseline predictors of new-onset T2DM and compared the event rates in patients with and without new-onset T2DM
Find more information here: http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/57/14/1535
