Diabetes Sufferers Offered Legal Help By Lancaster Firm
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) August 29, 2013 -- Lipitor, a statin used for the treatment of heart disease, quickly skyrocketed in popularity upon its introduction to the market. In fact, its widespread distribution helped it eclipse similar drugs like Zocor and Crestor to become the highest selling prescription drug of all time.
But recently, concerns have arisen that Lipitor (atorvastatin) could contribute to an increased susceptibility to diabetes. Studies have shown that women who take Lipitor are more likely to suffer from diabetes than if they were to use a placebo or even similar types of drugs (see link to the March 28, 2011, article from Reuters below).
Concerned about this threat, Handler Henning & Rosenberg is making their defective drug attorneys available to all those who believe their recent diabetes diagnosis was caused by Lipitor. The firm’s Lipitor injury lawyers believe that such parties may be entitled to legal representation upon filing a claim. W. Scott Henning details why the firm has chosen this moment to enter the fray:
“Every drug comes with certain side effects,” said Mr. Henning, “but these Lipitor-based diabetes diagnoses have become far too commonplace. When compared with other statins, the risk is simply unacceptable. Those who were misled by the claims of Lipitor deserve to have some recourse for the tough situation they’ve been put through.”
To help injured parties gain a better grasp of the situation, the firm has outlined some recent findings that allow for these lawsuits to move forward:
•Label Warnings- Even before the diabetes danger was disclosed, the Food and Drug Administration was forced to make revisions to the labels of Lipitor and other statins to reflect certain dangers. The side effects these warnings seek to relate include:
-Confusion
-Liver impairment
-Memory issues
-Muscle weakness derived from the onset of myopathy
-Heightened blood sugar
•A March 2011 study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology outlined the potential diabetes risk that patients might face if they’re provided with Lipitor (a March 28, 2011 article from Reuters called “More evidence ties cholesterol drug, diabetes” relates those findings). By comparing low dose statins, high dose statins, and placebos, researchers were able to identify an increased risk of diabetes, especially when given to those persons whose medical history already left them at risk for the condition.
All things equal, persons provided with a placebo had a 6% chance of experiencing type 2 diabetes. With atorvastatin, that risk rose to 9%. Researchers then factored in high blood pressure and blood sugar, a high triglyceride count, and if the person was overweight, things that all increase the risk of diabetes. When a patient suffered from two of these risk factors, diabetes was 37% more likely with Lipitor. And almost half of those patients with all four factors who were provided with Lipitor suffered from diabetes.
•Another study from the BMJ journal featured in a Healthday story from May 24, 2013, titled “Could Statins Raise Diabetes Risk?” analyzed the health of 500,000 citizens of Ontario. That study revealed that the risk of diabetes was greater with Lipitor than even other statins. By using Pravachol as a baseline with which to compare (this statin carries a far lower risk of diabetes incursion), the study was able to deduce that those who take Lipitor were 22% more likely to develop diabetes. That’s higher than Crestor’s 18% greater likelihood and Zocor’s 10% higher chance when each was compared with Pravachol.
Given this information, it’s become clear to Handler Henning & Rosenberg that Lipitor users were exposed to a potentially dangerous product, especially if those persons already were at risk for diabetes. The law firm has launched a new web portal that invites all diabetes sufferers who believe their condition is due to Lipitor to contact the firm for a free consultation.
Handler Henning & Rosenberg has been assisting injured parties for more than 90 years. David H Rosenberg and the rest of the firm’s partners offer representation to those injured in a host of practice areas, including automobile accidents, defective medical devices, premises liability, dog bites, and more. Those injured by Lipitor may call to obtain a free consultation or drop by the HHR website to learn more about the firm’s services.
Becky S. Voras, Handler Henning & Rosenberg, http://hhrlaw.com, +1 (800) 461-4140, [email protected]
Share this article