No, statins seem to protect against type II diabetes:
Biomed Pharmacother. 2004 Dec;58(10):614-8. Related Articles, Links
Effects of a statin group drug, pravastatin, on the insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome.
Guclu F, Ozmen B, Hekimsoy Z, Kirmaz C.
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
Background. - In West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS), development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) was found to decrease by 30% in pravastatin-treated patients. In the study, it is suggested that pleiotropic effects of pravastatin may be responsible too as well as its lipid lowering effect. Objective. - The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pravastatin treatment on the insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), by Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) test, insulin sensitivity indices and glucose half activation time (glucose t1/2). Methods. - Study population consisted of 25 women who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. At baseline and 10 weeks after the 20 mg/daily tablet pravastatin treatment, waist/hip circumference, body weight and arterial blood pressure measurements, plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, transaminases, glycosylated haemoglobin (A1C) and insulin level measurements were obtained along with HOMA test and insulin tolerance test after 12 h of fasting. Insulin sensitivity indices and glucose t1/2 were assessed. Results. - After the treatment, a statistically significant decrease was observed in arterial blood pressure values (P < 0.0001). While plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were found to decrease significantly and HDL-cholesterol levels increased significantly, a decrease in baseline insulin levels, an increase in insulin sensitivity levels were observed along with an decrease in glucose t1/2. Related to the improvement in aforementioned parameters, statistically significant decreases were noted in HOMA, postprandial and fasting glucose levels and A1C values (P < 0.0001). Conclusion. - Our study suggests that using pravastatin in the dyslipidemia treatment of metabolic syndrome with IGT may be an effective approach by its advantageous effects on insulin resistance. Based on this result, it is possible to say that this can be a risk lowering treatment approach for the development of type 2 DM.
There does seem to be a possible small incidence of neuropathy with statins - but it's clearly worth the benefit:
Pharmacotherapy. 2004 Sep;24(9):1194-203. Related Articles, Links
Click here to read
Statin-associated peripheral neuropathy: review of the literature.
Chong PH, Boskovich A, Stevkovic N, Bartt RE.
Department of Pharmacy, John H. Stroger, Jr Hospital, School of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612-3715, USA.
Various pharmacologic agents are available for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, commonly referred to as statins, which offer favorable lipid-lowering effects and reductions in morbidity and mortality. Statins are usually better tolerated than other lipid-lowering agents and therefore have become a mainstay of treatment for hypercholesterolemia. However, recent case reports of peripheral neuropathy in patients treated with statins may have gone unnoticed by health care professionals. To evaluate the possible link between statins and peripheral neuropathy, literature searches using MEDLINE (January 1993--November 2003) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (January 1970--June 2002) were performed. Key search terms were statin, neuropathy, and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Based on epidemiologic studies as well as case reports, a risk of peripheral neuropathy associated with statin use may exist; however, the risk appears to be minimal. On the other hand, the benefits of statins are firmly established. These findings should alert prescribers to a potential risk of peripheral neuropathy in patients receiving any of the statins; that is, statins should be considered the cause of peripheral neuropathy when other etiologies have been excluded.
Pretty much every drug has side effects. In a few patients these side effects will be severe. Society has to figure out how to deal with these. Either patients knowingly accept the risk themselves (but that's always problematic with psychotic, confused, demented, ill-educated, etc. patients) or you have some sort of compulsory insurance to compensate for any injuries - this is the equivalent of "strict liability" and is the path taken for vaccines.
Peter |
