title: Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomised statin trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trials of statin therapy have had conflicting findings on the risk of development of diabetes mellitus in patients given statins. We aimed to establish by a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data whether any relation exists between statin use and development of diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1994 to 2009, for randomised controlled endpoint trials of statins. We included only trials with more than 1000 patients, with identical follow-up in both groups and duration of more than 1 year. We excluded trials of patients with organ transplants or who needed haemodialysis. We used the I(2) statistic to measure heterogeneity between trials and calculated risk estimates for incident diabetes with random-effect meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 13 statin trials with 91 140 participants, of whom 4278 (2226 assigned statins and 2052 assigned control treatment) developed diabetes during a mean of 4 years. Statin therapy was associated with a 9% increased risk for incident diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.09; 95% CI 1.02-1.17), with little heterogeneity (I(2)=11%) between trials. Meta-regression showed that risk of development of diabetes with statins was highest in trials with older participants, but neither baseline body-mass index nor change in LDL-cholesterol concentrations accounted for residual variation in risk. Treatment of 255 (95% CI 150-852) patients with statins for 4 years resulted in one extra case of diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statin therapy is associated with a slightly increased risk of development of diabetes, but the risk is low both in absolute terms and when compared with the reduction in coronary events. Clinical practice in patients with moderate or high cardiovascular risk or existing cardiovascular disease should not change.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
authors.affiliation: British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. nsattar@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sattar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Preiss
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Murray
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authors.forename: Brendan M
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authors.lastname: Buckley
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authors.forename: Sreenivasa Rao Kondapally
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authors.lastname: Seshasai
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authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.forename: Dilys J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: J Wouter
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authors.lastname: Jukema
authors.forename: Peter W
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authors.lastname: Macfarlane
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authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Packard
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stott
authors.forename: Rudi G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Westendorp
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Barry R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pressel
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchioli
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marfisi
authors.forename: Aldo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maggioni
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tognoni
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kjekshus
authors.forename: Terje R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Antonio M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gotto
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Clearfield
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Downs
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Kausik K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors