Recent studies have shown a substantially increased risk of women developing type 2 diabetes who have taken or are taking Lipitor. Nicholas DiCello
Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) May 13, 2014
Spangenberg Shibley & Liber is now investigating claims on behalf of individuals who allegedly have developed type 2 diabetes after taking Lipitor, a cholesterol lowering medication.
Lipitor, a brand name for the drug Atorvastatin that was approved by the FDA in 1996, belongs to a class of drugs known as statins. Lipitor works by preventing the creation of cholesterol in the body by blocking the release of an enzyme from the liver. This in turn helps the body to lower the prominence of LDL- cholesterol also known as low density lipoprotein. This is the “bad cholesterol” in the body. Through the blocking of this enzyme, the body becomes unable to store cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular illnesses such as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessels.
The FDA has issued a consumer warning for all statins, including the popular drug Lipitor, requiring the labeling of the drug to be updated to include the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm293330.htm).
A study published in September, 2013 (content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1351850) have confirmed reports of Statins causing type 2 diabetes in women who would ordinarily not be at risk of developing the disease. Lipitor, manufactured by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, was intended to treat high cholesterol levels. While statins are typically very effective in lowering cholesterol levels, studies have shown that they significantly increases the risk of developing Type II Diabetes in women under the age of 80 with a BMI of 30 or lower.
However, several recent studies in February of 2010 in The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61965-6/abstract) and in September of 2012 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1351850) provide evidence that there are diabetes risks, but no benefits, for healthy women who take Statins.
In addition, the results of recent research studies linking Statins and diabetes in women have been published in the British Medical Journal and in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA-January, 2012). (archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1108676)
In January 2013, JAMA Internal Medicine published the results of a study that spanned five years (from 1993 to 1998) and continued to follow the patients through 2005. The study included 161,808 post-menopausal women, ages 50-79, from 40 clinical centers in the U.S. The study’s objective was to determine whether there was a correlation between Type II Diabetes and statin use. The study concluded that women with a BMI below 30 had a higher risk of diabetes as compared to women with a BMI figure over 30. The study also showed an increased risk of Type II Diabetes in post-menopausal women on statin medication.
A study published in May of 2013 in the British Medical Journal stated there was an increased risk of diabetes, especially with higher doses taken over an extended period of time. The study also linked diabetes to highly potent statins, stating there was higher risk of developing new onset diabetes with prolonged use of statin drugs (Lipitor).
If you are a woman who has developed type 2 diabetes after taking Lipitor or have a loved one who has, contact a Lipitor Type 2 diabetes lawyer today.