New guidelines have come out for prescribing statins, drugs which can help lower cholesterol. However, some physicians are resisting and debating these guidelines over concerns that statins can increase blood sugar levels and increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released new guidelines in November. These new guidelines cover patients with certain medical histories, blood chemistry parameters, and a risk of heart disease. Critics say that the  new guidelines will vastly increase the number of patients on statins such as Lipitor.

The reasoning for these changes is that current guidelines overlook many people at risk for cardiovascular disease. Lowering cholesterol with diet, exercise, or drugs like Lipitor can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

However, many statins are under scrutiny over safety concerns. For example, Liptor and related drugs have been named in product liability lawsuits that allege that statins increase a patient’s risk of developing type-2 diabetes, particularly in postmenopausal women.

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Physicians have different objections to the new guidelines. Some are concerned about over- or under-treating patients based on the new guidelines. Others feel the numbers are pure, cold statistics. For example, if a patient smokes, they are at risk of cardiovascular disease and their physicians may recommend statins under the new guidelines. However, physicians contend that quitting smoking could be sufficient to reduce this risk in cases like this, and cheaper for patients and their insurance companies. Others are concerned about the potential risk for diabetes.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Lipitor lawsuits have been filed by patients who developed type-2 diabetes after using Lipitor and related statins. These lawsuits allege that drug manufacturers were aware of the potential risks associated with these drugs, but continued to aggressively market them, endangering lives for profit.

To support these allegations, the Lipitor lawsuits cite research studies that have found an increased risk of type-2 diabetes linked to the disease, particularly in women. The lawsuits also claim that the manufacturers, when ordered by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to explain the concerns about diabetes, included a statement rich in medical jargon that never actually uses the word “diabetes.”

If you, or someone you care about, has used Lipitor and went on to develop type-2 diabetes, you have almost certainly been through a trying ordeal. The diagnosis of diabetes is a major challenge, and requires the patient to adopt an exercise regimen, dietary changes, and medical monitoring. When facing a chronic illness, many lapse into depression.