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Women Over 50 Most At Risk for Lipitor Diabetes
By Jessica Tyner
Some patients who take Lipitor may be trading one affliction for another. Lipitor is a drug that lowers cholesterol, but it has also been linked to causing type-2 diabetes — especially in women over 50. Lipitor is a drug that promises many things: It lowers bad cholesterol, decreases the risk of chest pain, and lowers the odds of a person suffering a heart attack or stroke. Recent studies show, however that incretin mimetics like Lipitor increase the risk of diabetes in certain users.
Lipitor is Pfizer’s most popular cholesterol drug and has been on the market since 1996. So far, Lipitor alone has brought Pfizer over $125 billion in revenue, and that number grows daily. Type-2 diabetes is a dangerous disease if left untreated and can lead to amputations, permanent disabilities and even death. Type-2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and there are 30 million Americans diagnosed with the disease. Many more are likely undiagnosed.
Women & Lipitor Diabetes
The Archives of Internal Medicine recently published a report that pinpointed women between the ages of 50-79 as most likely to develop type-2 diabetes from Lipitor. These women have a BMI under 30, so they’re not obese, which is another risk factor for type-2 diabetes. Since they’re not obese, it hints that Lipitor alone is the cause of their diabetes. Women who fit this profile have nearly a 10 percent chance of developing type-2 diabetes compared to women who don’t take Lipitor.
Type-2 diabetes isn’t the only side effect of Lipitor. Other side effects may include kidney disease, blindness, heart disease and neuropathy. That’s heartbreaking news for otherwise healthy women who want to get a handle on their cholesterol.
How Lipitor May Cause Diabetes
There have been numerous studies that connect Lipitor to diabetes, and it seems the link is based in the drug’s alteration of blood sugar levels. However, it’s not fully understood how or why these diabetes drugs do this. All that’s known is that statins – the main ingredient in Lipitor — changes the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, sometimes leading to type-2 diabetes.
Statins are found in drugs besides Lipitor, too. There are some high blood pressure medications, niacin and glucocorticoids with the same active ingredient. It’s important to note that type-2 diabetes diagnoses require a fasting blood test, which patients can request from their doctors. Catching the disease early is key to treatment.
Were You Diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes While on Lipitor?
If your doctor diagnosed you with diabetes while taking Lipitor, this may not be a coincidence. Your prescription may have caused diabetes, and you might have a Lipitor legal claim. Ongoing medical bills, prescription, pain and suffering deserves compensation.
Find out more at the Lipitor Diabetes Class Action Lawsuit Investigation today. Submit your Lipitor diabetes story free of charge. If you have a case, an attorney will get in touch with you to further discuss your complimentary Lipitor claim review.
Updated June 24th, 2013
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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