Analysis of 72 trials shows that statins increase the risk of diabetes by 9%

This study was published in QJM 2012 Feb;105(2):145-57

Study title and authors:
Adverse events associated with individual statin treatments for cardiovascular disease: an indirect comparison meta-analysis.

Alberton M, Wu P, Druyts E, Briel M, Mills EJ.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21920996

This paper sought to identify different risk effects of statin therapy. The paper analysed seventy-two trials involving 159,458 patients.

The paper found:
(a) Statin users had a 9% increased risk of diabetes compared to non-users.
(b) Statin users had a 31% increased risk of elevated aspartate aminotransferase levels compared to non-users. (Elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase indicate damage to liver, heart, muscle, kidney and brain tissues).
(c) Statin users had a 28% increased risk of elevated alanine aminotransferase levels compared to non-users. (Elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase indicate liver damage).

The data from this analysis of 72 trials shows that statins increase the risk of diabetes by 9%.