Jessica Tyner  |  February 16, 2015

Category: Legal News

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Sugar cubes and dice piled up together against white backgroundThe American Diabetes Association (ADA) has released new control guidelines stating that “all diabetics” should take Lipitor or a similar statin. The ADA released these guidelines on Dec. 23, 2014 with a supplemental recommendation in the Diabetes Care journal, which was published in the January 2015 issue.

Currently, diabetes is the most common chronic disease in the United States, with 10 percent of Americans suffering from the disease, which is about 30 million in total. Assuming the ADA’s guidelines are followed, tens of millions more will be taking drugs like Lipitor.

Lipitor is a popular drug to prevent cardiovascular disease and lower “bad” cholesterol levels. However, so many women over the age of 50 have complained of developing type-2 diabetes from Lipitor that the Lipitor lawsuits have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). Each of these women claim they were healthy and not at risk for high cholesterol or diabetes before taking the drug, but instead they took is as a preventative measure because of their age.

The guidelines also recommend that diabetics should be active every 90 minutes of their waking day, and that resistance training should be embraced if possible.

Thousands of women in the United States have joined the Lipitor multidistrict litigation (MDL), claiming that the drug caused permanent diabetes. Some question if giving Lipitor to diabetes patients will actually worsen their condition?

Unlike some people who develop type-2 diabetes not due to a drug, Lipitor diabetes victims have noted in their Lipitor lawsuits that exercise and diet alone won’t “reverse” their diabetes. Many of them report time-consuming and expensive care, often including taking diabetes medication and regular testing for life.

However, the ADA does recommend personalization of treatment: “Accordingly, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, personalization is necessary, balancing the benefits of glycemic control with its potential risks, taking into account the adverse effects of glucose-lowering medications (particularly hypoglycemia), and the patient’s age and health status, among other concerns.”

According to the ADA, these guidelines are in response to the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) and the American Heart Association’s (AHA) risk guidelines for cardiovascular health which were issued in early 2014. On the other hand, these  guidelines were also ushered in under intense scrutiny and fire.

Cardiovascular experts and critics claim that the guidelines would lead to a surplus of Americans being prescribed statins like Lipitor when it’s not necessary. Even one year ago, it was brought up that there are Lipitor complications, including diabetes, which has been showcased in a number of studies.

Thus far, the ADA hasn’t addressed these previous concerns, simply stating that the new diabetic guidelines are based on guidelines for cardiovascular health.

Lipitor Diabetes Research

One of the most recent studies on Lipitor and diabetes was published in the September 2014 issue of The Lancet. It showcased how enzyme statins are created to inhibit cholesterol, thus controlling cholesterol, but that’s also linked to a lot of factors that impact blood sugar.

There were over 200,000 people included in this study. However, the ADA is adamant that doctors should stop focusing on LDL (bad cholesterol) and instead consider a “risk profile.”

According to the Chair of Professional Practice Committee at the ADA, Dr. Richard Grant, “the big change here is to recommend starting either moderate or high-intensity statins based on the patient’s risk profile rather than on LDL level. Since all patients with diabetes are at increased risk, it is just a matter of deciding whom to start on moderate versus high-intensity statin doses.”

Back in 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required statins like Lipitor to get new warnings regarding how the drug might change blood glucose levels. However, a number of Lipitor victims say the new warnings still aren’t enough.

As Pfizer faces hundreds of Lipitor lawsuits, some Plaintiffs are very concerned over the ADA’s recommendation encouraging even more women to take the Lipitor risk.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Lipitor attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Lipitor class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Lipitor lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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