Research shows that women who have taken the cholesterol medication Lipitor may face a higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes. This research has led to lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer. While Pfizer may claim that a pre-existing condition led to the diabetes diagnosis, researchers have suggested that the disease could very well be a side effect of Lipitor.

Lipitor (atorvastatin) was the subject of a study published in the January 2012 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. That study found that women between the ages of 50 and 79 were nearly 50 percent more likely to develop Lipitor diabetes (or other statin drug diabetes) when they used the medication. 

After the 2012 Lipitor study, the FDA required Pfizer to change the Lipitor warning label to include the risk of diabetes. Even with the new warning label, many women are still at risk for Lipitor diabetes. Because millions of women take Lipitor to treat high cholesterol, hundreds of thousands of women may potentially be diagnosed with type-2 diabetes.

One cardiologist, Eric Topol, states, “The information that we have does not support that this is a ‘small’ problem unless one considers more than 100,000 new diabetics insignificant.”

Signs of Lipitor Diabetes

If you have one of the following symptoms of Lipitor diabetes, please see a medical professional:

• Increased thirst
• Dry mouth
• Increased hunger (especially after eating)
• Frequent urination
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Slow-healing sores or frequent infections
• Areas of darkened skin
• Headaches

Type-2 diabetes is a life-long condition that can be managed but never fully treated. While medications can help with the side effects, doctors suggest that patients must change their lifestyle, often dramatically, to manage type-2 diabetes. Please consult a medical professional before you stop using Lipitor. 

Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuits

Many women have filed Lipitor diabetes lawsuits after taking the cholesterol drug and subsequently being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. The lawsuits accuse Pfizer of failing to warn consumers about the possibility of developing Lipitor diabetes. Many of the plaintiffs claim that had they been aware of the risk of developing Lipitor diabetes, they would have chosen a different cholesterol medication that did not carry the risk.

Lipitor diabetes lawsuits may help plaintiffs win compensation for the emotional and physical pain and suffering of Lipitor side effects, as well as for present and future medical treatment, loss of wages, and more.

In addition to individual Lipitor lawsuits, a Lipitor class action lawsuit investigation has been launched against Pfizer.