The advice, in the January 2012 edition of the Drug Safety Update, states that statin use may be associated with a level of hyperglycaemia in some patients where formal diabetes care is appropriate. Analysis of clinical studies suggests that this association appears to be mainly in patients already at increased risk of developing diabetes, such as those with raised fasting blood glucose at baseline, a history of hypertension, raised triglyceride levels or a raised body mass index at baseline.
Despite this increased risk in susceptible individuals, the overall benefits of statins in reducing cardiovascular events strongly outweigh any risks, including those at risk of developing diabetes or those with pre-existing diabetes, and there is no reason to stop statin treatment. However, it advises that those patients identified as at risk should be monitored both clinically and biochemically according to national guidelines.
Reference
Drug safety update January 2012 Volume 5, issue 6: A2. Available at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/DrugSafetyUpdate/CON140667
