A study published Thursday in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that people taking statins have a higher body mass index (BMI) than non-statin users. The research studied statin data over a 10-year period, and compared statin users and non-users from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database.

The researchers, using dietary recall, compared the two groups for daily calorie and fat intake over three time periods across ten years — between 1999-2000 (start of the study), 2005-2006 (mid-point) and at 2009-2010 (end of the study).

The problem, it seems, is that statin users are under the misconception that a statin can offset the need for healthy eating, physical activity and weight control. Such is not the case, and the study reinforces this. At the start of the study, the statin users consumed significantly fewer calories per day – and significantly less fat than non-users. But over the course of the study, non-statin users revealed little change while statin users “consumed 9.6 percent more calories and 14.4 percent more fat at the end of the decade, compared with the start. Not surprisingly, body mass index (and weight) increased more in the statin users.”

Issues with Statins Like Lipitor

Statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver. About 70 percent of total cholesterol in the body is produced by the liver. As of 2010, a number of statins were on the market: atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor), to name a few. However, the best-selling statin is Lipitor, which by 2003 became the best-selling pharmaceutical in history. Lipitor drug maker Pfizer reported sales of $12.4 billion in 2008.

Lipitor, like other statins, targets the liver to block the body’s creation of cholesterol in order to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

As one of the best-selling prescription medications in the world, Lipitor has been prescribed to millions of women to help them lower their cholesterol and their risk for heart attack and stroke. However, while they have been shown to work, many studies have been released that show a possible link between the Lipitor and an increased risk of muscle damage, diabetes and kidney problems.

After the release of side effects studies in February 2012, the U.S. Drug and Food Administration (FDA) required all makers of statin drugs to add new warnings regarding the impact the medication has on blood glucose levels in users. The medical community has also called for more explicit information to be provided to consumers looking into statin drugs, like Lipitor or Crestor.

Numerous individual Lipitor lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer by women across the country alleging that they developed diabetes as a direct result of Lipitor. The Lipitor lawsuits claim that Pfizer had prior knowledge about the true risks associated with Lipitor but continued to sell it to consumers, now causing numerous health hazards. As a result, several Lipitor class action lawsuits have been launched to help female patients that suffered new onset diabetes as a result of taking Lipitor.