Statin use increases the risk of type two diabetes

This study was published in the British Medical Journal 2012 Sep 13;2(5)

Study title and authors:
Do statins interfere with lifestyle intervention in the prevention of diabetes in primary healthcare? One-year follow-up of the FIN-D2D project.

Rautio N, Jokelainen J, Oksa H, Saaristo T, Peltonen M, Vanhala M, Puolijoki H, Moilanen L, Tuomilehto J, Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi S, Uusitupa M.
Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22983785

The objective of the study was to examine whether the use of statins is associated with the incidence of type two diabetes among individuals at high risk for type two diabetes participating in one-year lifestyle intervention study. The study included 2,798 non-diabetic individuals, aged 18–87 years,  who had elevated fasting glucose levels.

Lifestyle counselling was performed either in group sessions or individually. Advice was given on diet, weight control, meal frequency and quality, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and diabetes as a disease in general. Group sessions were mainly weight maintenance or exercise groups and lectures concerning diabetes and lifestyle changes.

Fasting blood glucose levels are used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. Elevated blood glucose levels can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels.

The study found:
(a) Statin users had a 17% increased risk of developing type two diabetes compared to non-statin users.
(b) Fasting glucose levels increased by 0.08 mmol/L (1.44 mg/dL) in statin users, but remained unchanged in non-users.

The data from the study reveals that statin use increases the risk of type two diabetes in individuals at high risk of type two diabetes.