Findings of a recent statin drug study revealed that Lipitor, Crestor, and other similar cholesterol-treatment drugs increase the risk of type-2 diabetes development.  This study suggests that approximately one out of every five cases of type-2 diabetes may have been caused by the medications.

The study by researchers from the National Heart and Lung Institute in Imperial College London, of the United Kingdom was published last week in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.  The researchers found that the drugs do not have any link to muscle injuries, but do increase the chances of diabetic development.

Researchers observed data from 14 prevention trials involving more than 46,000 subjects. The subjects were either given a placebo or a statin drug. The results showed that 3 percent of the patients taking statins were later diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, compared to the 2.4 percent who were given placebos. From this, researchers estimate that one in every five cases of patients who develop type-2 diabetes, that the patients had most likely been prescribed a statin drug at the time.

Medical experts state the results of this study are troubling because there is already a large concern regarding this link between statin drugs and type-2 diabetes. To suggest that this side effect occurs much more often than initially thought is a big issue for the general public considering Lipitor’s popularity. Statins are among the best-selling drugs in the United States. Lipitor has been established as the best-selling drug in pharmaceutical history.

With the study presented, medical and legal experts alike are advising Lipitor patients to check with their doctors to ensure they have not developed type-2 diabetes or any other harmful side effects.  Patients who are diagnosed with type-2 diabetes are more susceptible to blindness, stroke, and cardiac complications, which is what Lipitor is often prescribed to prevent.

Hundreds of Lipitor lawsuits and a Lipitor class action lawsuit have been filed by diabetes victims who accuse Pfizer of failing to warn them about this potential side effect.

Overview of Statin Side Effects

Statin drugs work by blocking the body’s creation of cholesterol, and prevent large absorption of fat or other bad lipids. Additionally, studies have found that statins actually increase the production of good cholesterol, which allows the body to maintain a healthy level of energy. Statin drugs are typically prescribed to treat high cholesterol, in order to prevent heart diseases. The statin drugs, Lipitor and Crestor, are among the most popular.  Currently, statin drugs are the most popularly prescribed medicine family in the United States.

Crestor is manufactured by AstraZeneca, and is prescribed to treat cholesterol in high risk patients.  Unfortunately, as has been alleged in other statin lawsuits, AstraZeneca had failed to mention that type-2 diabetes may be a side effect in taking the medication. Lipitor is manufactured by Pfizer, which is facing thousands of lawsuits for not only failing to disclose this side effect to patients, but for also allegedly withholding that information for years.  Both drug companies face charges of negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product in a Lipitor class action lawsuit.  Most patients assert that they never would have taken the medication had they known about the possibility of type-2 diabetes development.

It is currently unknown as to what is causing this reaction, but medical experts suspect it is linked with the patients’ metabolic processing.  Additionally, it has been theorized that it may be a physical reaction to the body’s blood sugar being lowered.  Despite the severity of this complication, Pfizer did not mention any such side effect until 2012. This is the main basis for claims raised in a Lipitor class action lawsuit seeking compensation for Lipitor diabetes victims.