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ADA Guidelines Recommend Statins for Most Diabetics

Posted: Thursday, June 10, 2004

Diabetic patients are at such high risk of heart disease that the statins almost certainly will do them some good, the group said in its latest treatment guidelines. Diabetics should also consider taking a daily aspirin, too, the new guidelines stated.

"It may well be that everybody with diabetes should be on a statin," said Dr. Nathaniel Clark, vice-president for clinical affairs for the group. "We know that statins lower low-density cholesterol but they may also have some other qualities that have not been tested," Clark said.

An estimated 18 million Americans have diabetes, and 90% to 95% have type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Clark said the ADA decided to add statins to the guidelines after seeing the results of a British study, published earlier this year in The Lancet, which showed that statin use can lower stroke risk by one third. Their study included adults over the age of 40 whose total cholesterol levels were as low as 135.

Dr. Clark said diabetics are a special case. "It is now a consensus that having diabetes is the equivalent in terms of cardiovascular risk of already having had a heart attack," Dr. Clark said.

Worldwide, 25 million people take statins, but up to 200 million could be eligible if these guidelines are adopted. The drugs are not cheap, however. The United States already spends $12.5 billion on statin drugs, more than on any other type of drug.

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: