statins

[Harefieldfan]

I tried to post this yesterday but can’t see it anywhere. Is there a statin that doesn’t have increased blood sugar as a side- effect? I’m on atorvastatin 80 and am told I’m pre- diabetic. So I’d like to change, if I still have to take the awful things.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Statins are not awful things. Besides lowering cholesterol they also reduce irritation, often a precursor to plaque formation, and stabilise any existing plaque.

The most recent study read suggested that on average a person ar risk of developing Type II diabetes will develop it 6 - 9months earlier if they take a statin. The risk of Type II diabetes can be significantly reduced by achieving a healthy BMI, healthy eating (limiting csrbs to 100 - 220 gm per day), exercising, drinking in moderation and not smoking. May I ask if you have done all these? The risk of Type II diabetes increases with age and around 1/3rd of 80 year olds are diabetic. Another study showed no variation with with type and dosage of station.

[Harefieldfan in reply to MichaelJH]

yes, all of those, Michael. Not sure about carbs but BMI. Within range, 45 minutes per day on exercise bike, no smoking or drinking. I’ve been referred for diabetes prevention programme but haven’t heard anything. Still wonder about the statin

[Hidden]

Dear Harefiedfan

I am sorry that you are having problems with your statins,

I am not medically trained but I wanted to assure everyone { mainly the new to taking statins group } that the benefit of these amazing drugs, in most cases, far out weigh the side effects that some give.

I say some as there is more than one statin to try that hopefully doesn't have the same side effects for you to call them " awful things ".

They are apart of a drug group that is very much helping me { and hundreds of thousands others} live a life at whatever standard.

A lot of us are pre-diabetic and it is up to us to do something about it { big shock for me being Vegan } stopping statins { as far as Im concerned } is not one of them without the say so of your cardiologist and even then I would strongly ask him why?

I hope your thread does not become a statin hating one, because you have brought up an interesting question that maybe is not the best worded { my opinion only }

Take care

[Harefieldfan in reply to Hidden]

thanks Blue. I guess badly worded. Sorry! I’m vegan too and was equally surprised for that reason. My HBA1c went up from 37 to 42 in a short time. I looked up all my info leaflets and the statin gave raised blood sugar as a side-effect. Hence my question. I probably do need to keep taking a statin so was wondering if any didn’t have that profile.

[Zbignieva in reply to Harefieldfan]

The measurement of uncertainty for HbA1c is more or less 7%, so on a value of 37, that is plus or minus 2.2.

That is about the measurement method, not any inherent change in the patient.

The calibration of the assay can also shift what the result is slightly.

So while you have had a shift in your HbA1c, it may not be a huge shift, I may be a good idea to check the pattern over a slightly longer period of time.

[Harefieldfan in reply to Zbignieva]

thank you!

[Chappychap]

My GP talks about "an individual's route into heart disease/atherosclerosis" , he estimates that about a third of heart disease sufferers are there as a side effect of their underlying drift towards Type 2 diabetes.

That probably describes my own situation. And following my bypass surgery I was faced with the challenge of reducing my HbA1c scores (a measure of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes that every UK heart patient has as part of their regular blood tests) while at the same time starting to take statins.

In fact the word "challenge" overstates it, it's really not that difficult. I lost some weight, stopped eating processed, sugary, junk food, and stopped snacking between meals.

Guess what. The effects of those simple life style changes totally swamped any negative statin effects. I reversed a twenty year trend and my Hba1c scores came right back down into the safe zone, all while taking a daily statin.

Yes, people should be much more aware of the risks of T2 Diabetes and in particular the connection of T2 diabetes and heart disease. The reality is we're far too slow to test for pre-diabetes, and doctors are far too slow in warning patients that they're drifting towards T2 diabetes. What makes this especially tragic is that, caught early enough, correcting T2 diabetes through simple changes like diet is so straightforward.

But statins are nothing to be concerned about. Any negative impact from a statin will be absolutely crushed by some simple life style changes.

Good luck!

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Chappychap]

All good points. My is BM1 22, my waist measurement 30 inches. I walk my dog everyday. I am careful with my diet.

However my HbA1c has crept up over the last few years due to factors beyond my control.

I am aging

My father was a type 2 diabetic

I was borderline for gestational diabetes

I am post menopausal

My GP agreed that I am doing all I can to limit the rise. I can't stop getting older though.

I take Rosuvastatin to help improve the function of my endothelium. It will be making only a small contribution to the rise in my HbA1c levels.

[Harefieldfan in reply to Chappychap]

thanks Chappychap. I don’t eat junk food and I do exercise and have got my weight down so that my BMI is in a healthy range. I’m glad you’ve sorted it; hope I do too. My GP doesn’t think pre- diabetes is a big deal and says I have to wait a year for another blood test. But I find it frightening.

[Chappychap in reply to Harefieldfan]

I also find T2 diabetes frightening, I believe that along with strokes it's responsible for most of the UK's disability problems. But the range of responses from one GP to another doesn't inspire much confidence.

For many years I had an annual company medical which showed my HbA1c scores inching up. Because these scores fell slightly below the arbitrary level for "pre-diabetes" it was never raised as a problem. However, following open heart surgery I was treated by a new GP with a completely different approach, he regards any sustained pattern of HbA1c increase as evidence of T2 diabetes, and in the first instance he would then recommend a programme of life style changes.

Most people on this forum will have an annual cardio check-up that includes HbA1c tests, it's sobering to think how many are living in a fool's paradise just because their GP is waiting for the metrics to creep past some arbitrary line. If the GP raised the matter early enough then simple life style changes would, in many cases, reverse the problem and see their HbA1c scores plummeting back into the safe zone.

[AlfredV]

Unfortunately statins do increase fasting blood glucose levels. For those at risk of diabetes this can be problematic, however, studies seem to suggest this effect is worse in some statins than others. Here's one study:

cardiab.biomedcentral.com/a...

The takeaway from this study was that atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, pitavastatin, and simvastatin are the worst for raising blood glucose. Pravastatin, lovastatin, and fluvastatin performed better.

As others have pointed out, it is worth looking at lifestyle solutions to minimising the risk of T2 diabetes. If we were to rename T2 diabetes as "carbohydrate intolerance" (which is what it is), the solution becomes more obvious. A reduction in carbohydrate intake (whether that is simple or so-called complex carbohydrates) should help.

[Harefieldfan in reply to AlfredV]

Thanks AlfredV. That is very helpful.

[RegularWalker]

I was put on 80mg Atorvastatin after my HA 5 years ago. My cholesterol was 5.8 so statins were necessary. But at my annual check my cholesterol was 2 point something, well within the target of 4. Having read that statins can cause brain bleeds and strokes and joint problems I voluntarily halved the dose by taking one every other day. At my next annual check my cholesterol was still good and the nurse changed my prescription to 40mg. Since then I've halved the dose again. Your situation will be different but you may consider reducing the dose if your total cholesterol is less than 4.5.

[Harefieldfan in reply to RegularWalker]

that sounds really good RegularWalker. Today my cardiologist didn’t keep the scheduled phone appointment so I couldn’t mention it to him. Not happy. 🙁