The Use of Statins in People at Risk of Developing Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence and Guidance for Clinical Practice

Reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels using statins is associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular (CV) events in a wide range of patient populations. Although statins are generally considered to be safe, recent studies suggest they are associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This led the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change their labelling requirements for statins to include a warning about the possibility of increased blood sugar and HbA1c levels and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to issue guidance on a small increased risk of T2D with the statin class. This review examines the evidence leading to these claims and provides practical guidance for primary care physicians on the use of statins in people with or at risk of developing T2D. Overall, evidence suggests that the benefits of statins for the reduction of CV risk far outweigh the risk of developing T2D, especially in individuals with higher CV risk. To reduce the risk of developing T2D, physicians should assess all patients for T2D risk prior to starting statin therapy, educate patients about their risks, and encourage risk-reduction through lifestyle changes. Whether some statins are more diabetogenic than others requires further study. Statin-treated patients at high risk of developing T2D should regularly be monitored for changes in blood glucose or HbA1c levels, and the risk of conversion from pre-diabetes to T2D should be reduced by intensifying lifestyle changes. Should a patient develop T2D during statin treatment, physicians should continue with statin therapy and manage T2D in accordance with relevant national guidelines.

Impacto da Combinação de Terapêutica Farmacológica na Mortalidade em Doentes com Síndrome Coronária Aguda

INTRODUCTION: Conventional risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction is usually based on the extent of myocardial damage and its clinical consequences. However, nowadays, more aggressive therapeutic strategies are used, both pharmacological and invasive, with the aim of changing the course of the disease. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the number of drugs administered can influence survival of these patients, based on recent clinical trials that demonstrated the benefit of each drug for survival after acute coronary events. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 368 consecutive patients admitted to our ICU during 2002 for acute coronary syndrome. A score from 1 to 4 was attributed to each patient according to the number of secondary prevention drugs administered--antiplatelets, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and statins--independently of the type of association. We evaluated mortality at 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: Mean age was 65 +/- 13 years, 68% were male, and 43% had ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. Thirty-day mortality for score 1 to 4 was 36.8%, 15.6%, 7.8% and 2.5% respectively (p < 0.001). The use of only one or two drugs resulted in a significant increase in the risk of death at 30 days (OR 4.10, 95% CI 1.69-9.93, p = 0.002), when corrected for other variables. There was a 77% risk reduction associated with the use of three or four vs. one or two drugs. The other independent predictors of death were diabetes, Killip class on admission and renal insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a greater number of secondary prevention drugs in patients with acute coronary syndromes was associated with improved survival. A score of 4 was a powerful predictor of mortality at 30-day follow-up