Risk of macrovascular complications in statin-treated patients developing diabetes

To assess the risk of macrovascular complications in patients developing diabetes from statin treatment.

In this population-based cohort study, 40,409 participants who began to receive statin therapy between 2000 and 2012 were enrolled in to the study group, and another 1:1 matched adults without statin treatment during the same period served as the control group. Both groups were followed up to identify individuals who later developed diabetes. After a follow-up identification of diabetes, diabetes and non-diabetes cohorts were subjected to an analysis for the risk of macrovascular events between diagnosis of diabetes and December 31, 2013.

Compared with individuals without statin therapy, statin-treated patients had a higher risk of developing diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.46; 95% confidence interval: 2.37-2.57). Compared with statin-treated patients without diabetes, statin-treated participants developing diabetes had a higher overall incidence of macrovascular complications (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.62-1.88). Moreover, compared with that of other diabetogenic statins, patients taking pravastatin had a lower risk of developing diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.63; 95% confidence interval: 0.55-0.73) and macrovascular events (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.64; 95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.98).

According to these findings, prescribing statins that have a neutral effect on glucose homeostasis may be advisable for Asian populations.