Lipitor Linked to 9% Increased Risk of Type-2 Diabetes

July 12, 2013 — In one of the largest studies to investigate the link between the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor and type-2 diabetes, research published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcome has found that “statins as a class resulted in significantly higher odds of diabetes.” The researchers looked at data on nearly 250,000 people and found a 9% increased risk of type-2 diabetes associated with statins.

The study adds to the growing evidence linking Lipitor, the world’s most popular statin, to an increased risk of type-2 diabetes. Other studies have also found a 9% increased risk of diabetes associated with statins, according to this Drug Safety Communication published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2012. Other studies have found that post-menopausal women were 50% more likely to report developing type-2 diabetes than women who did not take statins.

In recent months, a growing number of Lipitor diabetes lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer. Lawsuits allege that Pfizer failed to adequately warn patients and physicians about the risk of diabetes from Lipitor.

Drugs in the statin class included in the study:

• Lipitor (atorvastatin)
• Zocor (simvastatin)
• Crestor (rosuvastatin)
• Pravachol (pravastatin)
• Lescol (fluvastatin)
• Mevacor (lovastatin)