Statins and Diabetes

A statin is first-line drug therapy for dyslipidemia. Clinical trial data suggest there is an increase in the incidence of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus with statin use. The National Lipid Association (NLA) Statin Diabetes Safety Task Force concluded that the cardiovascular benefit of statin therapy outweighs the risk for developing diabetes. The NLA panel advocated following the standards of care from the American Diabetes Association for screening and diagnosis of diabetes, and emphasized the importance of lifestyle modification. This article summarizes NLA's review of the evidence, expanding it to include recent results, and outlines the clinical recommendations.