Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin, and Simvastatin Are Associated with Excess Risk for Diabetes

Studies in people and in animal models suggest that atorvastatin, rosuvastatin (Crestor), and simvastatin are associated with elevated risk for diabetes, whereas pravastatin is associated with lower risk. In this population-based cohort study, investigators in Canada used administrative databases to assess incident diabetes between 1997 and 2010 in 471,000 older patients (age, ≥66) who were newly treated with statins (median age at treatment onset, 73).

After adjustment for multiple confounders, with pravastatin as the reference drug, risk for new diabetes was 10%, 18%, and 22% higher in participants who received simvastatin, rosuvastatin, and atorvastatin, respectively. Corresponding numbers needed to harm were 363 (simvastatin), 210 (rosuvastatin), and 172 (atorvastatin). Fluvastatin and lovastatin were not associated with excess risk. Compared with low statin doses (pravastatin, fluvastatin, and lovastatin at all doses; atorvastatin, <20 mg; rosuvastatin, <10 mg; simvastatin, <80 mg), moderate and high statin doses were associated with higher diabetes risk.