Statin drugs have been one of the most prescribed drugs to lower cholesterol for both men and women, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars in pharmaceutical sales each year. The premise is that they help to prevent heart disease. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that statin use in postmenopausal women significantly increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is interesting that the media has chosen to give this information very little coverage. Even though these results have come to light, the American Diabetes Association's guidelines for primary and secondary prevention have not changed.
The study
Dr. Annie L. Culver and her team from the Rochester Methodist Hospital, Mayo clinic in Minnesota analyzed data from the national, multi-year Women's Health Initiative (WHI) to gather results from the study. The data included 153,840 women, aged 50-79 without diabetes, with an average age of 63 years old. There were 40 different sites capturing the data. The use of statins was determined at the beginning of the study and again at year three. Initially 7 percent of the women reported taking statins.
The scientists found 10,242 new cases of diabetes and came to the conclusion that statin use was associated with an increased risk of diabetes. The actual increased incidence was a staggering 71%.
What was never told
A vast number of statin drug trials have been conducted over the years. Many notable trials are known by their acronyms. A few of them are PROSPER, KAPS, LIPID, EXCEL, and CARE, just to name a few. They were well funded. The problem: they were conducted with middle-aged men. These studies did not reveal the effects of the drugs among women, children, the elderly, or ethnic groups. Even the General Accounting Office of the United States acknowleged this bias in 1996 by stating:
"The trials generally have not evaluated the efficacy of cholesterol-lowering treatment for several important population groups, such as women, elderly men and women, and minority men and women. Thus, they provide little or no evidence of benefits or possible risks for these groups."
The bottom line
Trials conducted on a specific group of people can only logically be used for that specific group and not generalized to others. Safety and effectiveness should be determined for the drug in each group before prescribing.
The pharmaceutical companies have done an excellent job in marketing these drugs and have gotten the various organizations, such as the American Heart Association, to recommend statins in cholesterol lowering protocols. Medical providers have embraced the data from the trials as all inclusive.
Postmenopausal women should seriously consider the pros and cons of statin drugs for lowering cholesterol and have a serious talk with their provider before initiating this treatment.
References:
Culver, AL, Ockene, IS, et al. Statin Use and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus in Postmenopausal Women in the Women's Health Initiative. Arch Intern Med. 2012; 172(2): 144-152.
Ellison, S.(2006). Hidden Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Kearney: Morris.
US General Accounting Office. "Cholesterol treatment. A Review of the evidence." 1996.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a health care provider for advice.
Rosemary King - Stay well; stay healthy; stay focused.
