Lipitor guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have met with skepticism and criticism from the scientific community.

Lipitor is a drug designed to decrease levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol. High levels of these chemicals in the blood can promote the hardening and narrowing of arteries. This makes it harder for the heart to pump blood, leading to heart disease and risking complications like stroke, heart attack, and pulmonary embolism.

However, evidence has emerged that Lipitor may cause type-2 diabetes, particularly in older women. Despite Lipitor diabetes risks, the ACC and AHA unveiled new guidelines recommending that more Americans should use Lipitor.

While some trepidation about the new guidelines arose as soon as they were published, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) galvanized some segments of the medical community against recommendations for more Lipitor prescriptions.

The new research study in JAMA indicated that the methods the ACC and AHA used to estimate the risk of heart disease associated with high cholesterol do not match up with observable data. The authors of the study argue that based on these concerns, the guidelines could put millions of Americans on Lipitor and related drugs, exposing them to the risk of Lipitor side effects, like Lipitor diabetes.

In particular, the researchers found that the estimates predicted twice as many women in lower-risk categories would suffer heart disease than have actually been observed. This is especially troubling since epidemiological studies focusing on Lipitor diabetes have found that women have the highest risk of developing type-2 diabetes while taking Lipitor.

A Lipitor MDL has been created around the allegations that the drug can cause type-2 diabetes. MDL, short for multidistrict litigation, is a type of consolidated lawsuit, in which tens, hundreds, or even thousands, of similar individual Lipitor lawsuits are grouped together. In many ways, group lawsuits like MDLs and class action lawsuits are designed to help streamline the legal system by avoiding duplication of efforts.

The Lipitor MDL is In Re: Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (No. II), MDL No. 2502, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.