Study Shows Link Between High-Dose Statins and Diabetes Risk

But health experts caution that the cholesterol-lowering drugs are still a powerful and valuable ally against heart disease.

Published: August 31, 2011

If you have high cholesterol its likely that your physician has prescribed a statin. For more than two decades statins have helped reduce cardiovascular problems in many patients at risk for heart attack or stroke. But a report in the June 22/29 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association noted that an analysis of five statin trials found that intensive-dose therapy increased the risk of type 2 diabetes. If you are prescribed statin therapy, how concerned should you be?