Statin Therapy Influences Diabetes Treatment Outcomes

Patients receiving high-potency statin therapy required more frequent intensification of diabetes treatment than those undergoing low-intensity statin therapy, according to the results of a 2016 study published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.

The retrospective cohort study included 421 participants with type 2 diabetes who were either not prescribed statins or prescribed statin therapy for the first time, which was categorized as high- or low-potency. Fasting glucose (FG), HbA_1c, diabetes therapy intensification, and HbA_1c target rate were recorded at 6 months and at 12 months.
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Non-statin users had significant reductions in HbA_1c from 52.8 ± 14.0 mmol/mol to 48.2 ± 8.5 at 6 months and 48.6 ± 8.8 at 12 months compared with statin users. FG was also reduced from 7.1 ± 2.0 mmol/l to 6.7 ± 1.6 (p = 0.12) at 6 months and 6.6 ± 1.5 (p = 0.032) at 12 months in non-statin users.

Overall, 48.7% of participants on statins had their treatment for diabetes intensified compared with 27.4% of participants not taking statins.

HbA_1c target rate was significantly lower for participants taking statins compared with participants not taking statins (62% and 75.4%, respectively).

Low-potency statins were associated with a significant reduction in HbA_1c from 52.0 ± 11.1 mmol/mol to 50.7 ± 9.0 (p = 0.017) at 6 months and 50.7 ± 9.5 (p = 0.038) at 12 months). Likewise, low-potency statins were associated with similar reductions in FG, from 7.5 ± 2.2 mmol/l to 7.0 ± 1.6 (p = 0.021) at 6 months and 7.2 ± 1.5 (p = 0.026) at 12 months.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Bardini G, Giannini S, Rotella CM, Pala L, Cresci B, and Mannucci E. Lower and higher-potency statins on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study [published July 29, 2016]. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2016.07.015.