By David Liu and editing by Stacey Sexton

Tuesday Jan 10, 2012 (foodconsumer.org -- Using statins may boost the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online first by the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. But researchers suggest that statins are meant to prevent heart disease and the elevated risk of diabetes should not stop patients from taking the medications.

The journal cited researchers in a press release as noting that statins address the cardiovascular consequences of diabetes and current American Diabetes Association guidelines for primary and secondary prevention should not change.   Researchers were also cited as writing that guidelines for statin use in non-diabetic populations should remain the same.

The study led by Annie L. Culver, B. Pharm, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. and colleagues analyzed data from the national, multiyear Women's Health Initiative and found that those using statins at baseline were 71 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus than those who did not.

After adjustment for other potential confounders such as age, race/ethnicity and body mass index, the increase in the risk for diabetes was still 48 percent.

The associations were observed with all classes of statins.

The study from which data were derived was conducted through 2005 and included 153,840 women at an average age of 63.2 years without diabetes mellitus at baseline. Statin use was assessed at baseline enrollment and in year three. At baseline, 7.04 percent of women took statin medications.  During the follow-up, 10,242 new cases of diabetes were identified.

"The results of this study imply that statin use conveys an increased risk of new-onset DM in postmenopausal woman. In keeping with the findings of other studies, our results suggest that statin-induced DM (diabetes mellitus) is a medication class effect and not related to potency or to individual statin," the researchers wrote.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is believed to affect 26 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Health.

Statins can effectively reduce serum levels of cholesterol. However, some studies say statins are expected to reduce risk of heart disease in those who have had prior heart conditions, but not so effective or at least not so cost-effective in those who have had no prior heart problems. 

Additionally, some studies suggest that cholesterols are not the major risk factor for heart disease and that calcium actually plays a more important role in the development of the disease.

The current study is not the only one to show that taking statins can boost risk of type 2 diabetes.  Quite a few studies have made the same link.

An early review in the Lancet suggests that people using cholesterol-lowering statins were 9 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus, compared with those who did not use the medications.

Naveed Sattar of the Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Glasgow conducted the study.

Statins have been linked to a number of adverse effects. In addition to diabetes, the medications may also increase risk of stroke, eye disorders and muscle injury.

A recent study led by George R. Washko MD, MMsC, and Gary M. Hunninghake MD, MPH, of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, also linked statins with interstitial lung abnormalities in smokers.

The findings were reported in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

While statin use can lead to serious side effects, statin alternatives exist to help people effectively lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.  Studies have demonstrated that vitamin niacin, following a Mediterranean diet, omega-3 fatty acids, soybeans, soy milk, phytosterol-rich foods, nuts and red yeast rice can likely work better than statins in preventing heart disease.