Statins and Type 1 Diabetes: Impact on Cardiovascular Outcomes and surrogates. Systematic Review and meta-analysis
Karen Feriz-Bonelo1,2,3, Pablo Corral4, María Bernarda Iriarte-Durán5,6
1Servicio de Endocrinología, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Fundación Valle del Lili, Cali, Colombia. karen.feriz@fvl.org.co.
Current Diabetes Reports
|October 13, 2025
Summary
Statins significantly reduce cardiovascular events and improve lipid profiles in type 1 diabetes patients without prior heart disease. This suggests statins are a viable preventive strategy for this high-risk group.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the primary cause of mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients.
- Dyslipidemia is a common risk factor contributing to ASCVD in this population.
- Limited data exist on statin efficacy for primary prevention of ASCVD in T1D.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the impact of statin therapy on clinical and surrogate atherosclerosis outcomes.
- To evaluate statins in T1D patients without established ASCVD for primary prevention.
- To assess effects on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and lipid profiles.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
- Searches conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and Epistemonikos up to June 2025.
- Included eleven studies (nine RCTs, two cohort studies); six eligible for meta-analysis.
Main Results:
- Statin use showed a significant reduction in MACE (HR 0.77; low certainty).
- Mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased by 30.3 mg/dL (moderate certainty).
- Improvements observed in ApoB and non-HDL cholesterol levels.
Conclusions:
- Statin therapy is associated with improved lipid profiles and reduced MACE in T1D patients without ASCVD.
- Findings support considering statins for primary prevention in this population.
- Further prospective studies focusing on hard outcomes are needed to refine patient selection.
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