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Statins Beneficial to Nearly All Diabetics
Statins, the best selling drugs for reducing cholesterol, should be standard therapy for all diabetic except for pregnant women and children concluded British and Australian researchers following a study of nearly 19,000 patients.
This has been the largest study of its kind where the results of clinical trials have been combined to form one large study. Two other recent studies showed inconclusive results. Colin Baigent of the Clinical Trial Service Unit in Oxford, England, and one of the authors of the research published in the Lancet medical journal, said the latest data cleared up the uncertainty.
"Statins are clearly effective for a wide range of people with diabetes, irrespective of their absolute risk and irrespective of whether they have type 1 or type 2 (diabetes) or whether they are male or female," he said in a telephone interview.
For every 1,000 diabetic patients given statin therapy, fewer than 42 people had heart attacks and strokes. "Generic statins are highly cost-effective, right down to an annual risk of about 1 percent per annum of a major vascular event, so it makes sense for statins to be used widely in most people with diabetes."
Although statins can be an effective treatment, it is also important that doctors stress the importance of lifestyle changes. Quitting smoking, regular exercise, and a healthy diet are also important.