ClassAction.org is reporting that a new study suggests patients using statins such as Lipitor are at an increased risk for developing new-onset type 2 diabetes. In an attempt to determine which symptoms occurred directly from the use of statins, researchers tracked the reported side effects in 14 trials involving more than 45,000 participants. The results of the study, which were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that “only a small minority of symptoms reported on statins are genuinely due to the statins: almost all would occur just as frequently on placebo.” The one exception, however, was new-onset type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that 3 percent of statin users developed diabetes, where as only 2.4 percent of placebo users developed the disease. According to the researchers, this means that “1 in 5 of new cases were actually caused by statins.”
Several other studies have reached similar conclusions in recent years. In 2013, the British Medical Journal published a study that found statin users were at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, with Lipitor users specifically being at the highest risk for developing the disease. Specifically, researchers found that women using Lipitor were at a 22 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to women using a different statin.
Furthermore, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2012 found that postmenopausal women using statins were at an increased risk of new-onset diabetes. In 20120, a study published in Lancet medical journal found that statin use was shown to put patients at a 9 percent increased risk of developing the disease. After reviewing these studies, the FDA announced in 2012 that it would be changing the labels for all statins to include the risk of high blood sugar levels.
While the labels for these drugs have been updated, patients who developed type 2 diabetes after using Lipitor allege that the label changes still do not adequately warn the public about the risk of developing diabetes. According to these lawsuits, Pfizer was aware of studies dating back to 1996 that suggested its statin Lipitor could cause patients to develop type 2 diabetes; however, Pfizer allegedly concealed that data and continued to market Lipitor as a safe and effective treatment for high cholesterol.
If you or a loved one developed type 2 diabetes after using Lipitor or another statin, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries by filing a lawsuit. Hundreds of others who were injured after using Lipitor have taken legal action against Pfizer, and you may be able to join this growing litigation. If you have questions about your legal rights or would like help filing a lawsuit, visit http://www.classaction.org/lipitor-lawsuits today and fill out our free case review form.
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