I had heart attack in July last year, I have just had blood tests and a review of my medications as a result I have been told that I am now pre-diabetic which has shocked me. I am also found out I could have an under active thyroid.
I have read that statins can make you predisposed to diabetes anyone else have any info on this.
There are various studies that suggest a link, including one reported by the British Heart Foundation here: bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-... I suspect there are other studies that give varying assessments of any connection.
This was something that I considered when I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic in December 2022, but decided to continue with my statins. There were other factors that could have contributed. Something best discussed with your GP, especially given your heart condition and under-active thyroid.
BTW I went on a serious diet to reduce my pre-diabetes and after a year or so had got reassuring under the threshold.
I know what you mean about it being a shock, I've been told I'm prediabetic and I don't have a clue why.I weigh 8 stone 4, eat a healthy diet, rarely have alcohol and get regular exercise. As far as I know there's no family history of diabetes.
Nothing in my diet or lifestyle has changed but my blood sugar has shot up.
The only change I can pinpoint is that I am on Bisoprolol, not a statin, a beta blocker.
My medication is being changed to a calcium channel blocker so I don't know if that will make any difference.
Thank you I am also taking bisoprolol.
I'm pre-diabetic also, and taking Bisoprolol (nothing else). I'm trying Dihydroberberine, freezing my bread, cutting out potatoes. I don't eat sweet things anyway, so can only target carbs. Not had another set of bloods yet though.
It's not easy to combat is it?
I am just on the line for prediabetes. My BMI is 21, I exercise, I don't eat much sugar, rarely eat a pudding.
The reason why my HbA1c is creeping up over the years, is my risk is greater because my father was a diabetic and I was borderline for gestational diabetes.
I am also on a statin which my Cardiologist said can be changed if necessary, to a statin that doesn't effect your blood sugar levels.
Diabetes UK has some good information.
pre diabetic for me was a reading of 42. Diabetic is about 49/50.
So I have had every chance to make sure I keep well away from diabetes. I attend the NHS XYLA course which has helped me to adjust diet and exercise just a little
I eventually succumbed to the pressure to take statins. Not at all sure if they help, hinder or are neutral.
Sooty
Can I ask what is xyla course.
Thanks
Xyla is a company that runs courses for prediabetics. It is NHS funded. They have courses run in village halls/wherever they can find space. Staff are trained but are not medically qualified. The course is generally thirteen sessions lasting about nine months. The course is gentle lectures with a bit of participation.
I am just finishing the course.
Sooty
Thanks will look into this.
I always find it interesting that people automatically assume diabetes is about sugar. Consumption. My husband was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic 15 years ago and never ate sugary foods. Thru trial and error keeping a food diary and taking lots of blood sugar readings he discovered it was actually fatty foods and carbs that sent his blood sugar sky high. By tweaking his diet and reducing his carb intake he has managed to reduce his blood sugar to an acceptable level. He also found if he had a high reading the easiest way to bring it down was to go for a brisk half hour walk. I know everyone is different and will have different triggers. But it doesn’t have to be scarey and you don’t have to rely on meds if you are prepared to make the effort. Good luck with your journey I wish you good health x
Carbs are sugar. They all get metabolised to sugar.
You are right, fatty foods and carbs do increase your blood sugar because of the way our bodies process them. And as you say, everyone is different, it would be so easy if we all fitted the same pattern.
Unfortunately for me my diet is low in both of them. I'm not keen on pastry, red meat etc and don't like takeaways or snacks. All our meals are made from scratch. A bit boring to a lot of people (including my husband!) but it's just the way I am, I can't help it. I don't really enjoy eating out but I do it occasionally just to be sociable, and I rarely touch alcohol.
We grow a lot of our own vegetables, I love gardening and usually walk around fifteen miles a week in the countryside around our home, so my diet has always been healthy and I get regular exercise.
Until last year I had no health issues at all. All my blood tests have been good across the board until this most recent one showing prediabetes.
So for me I think it has to be the Bisoprolol as it's the only thing that has changed.
I'm in the process of changing my medication from Bisoprolol to Diltiazem and I'm hoping I will see a difference. My blood sugar is being checked again at the end of October so we'll see then.
You’d be surprised what contains carbs - bread, pasta, rice and all root veggies plus tropical fruit like bananas which contain the equivalent of 6 spoonful of sugar. All these foods are metabolised to sugar and this causes insulin to be pumped leading eventually to insulin resistance. If you’re prediabetic you’ve probably been insulin resistant for a while and this will be causing organ damage including in your heart. Have a look at Michael Moseley, David Unwin and Jason Fung’s work on reversing diabetes. It’s a tough road back to normal, as I know, but worth it to live longer and in better health
Morning, I to was been diagnosed with pre diabetes after 4 years on statins. I am fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. I to was shocked by the news. My Doctors surgery is a pioneer of a low carb diet and since I have been on it I have moved out of the pre diabetes range. The toughest part for me was giving up bread, but I felt it was worth it in the long run. Good luck
Since having HA I stopped eating proper bread and mi Ed to sourdough but I guess that’s probably not great although I checked the sugar levels and it’s low. I really dint know what to eat now.
My husband was also diagnosed with prediabetes despite a really good diet. I did some research and came across the info about statins. He was on a very high dose of atorvastatin (50mg or something along those lines), he was also showing increased levels of liver enzymes and they wanted to take him off his entresto which they thought was causing it but I found other papers that said high doses of statins can mess with the liver. So we convinced the GP to switch him to a lower dose of rosuvastatin as it’s a more effective drug - but more expensive. Liver enzymes down and prediabetes gone. His hba1c was 42 and it’s now in the 30s. He did make some strict dietary changes at the start as he was worried but has gone back to eating normal now and the levels haven’t gone back up.
Hi, am having exactly these issues and discussing change of statin with gp. Haven't heard of the one you mention. Can I check the spelling as can't find on Google either?
Sorry it’s called rosuvastatin! He’s on 5mg once a day
If you don't mind me asking what was your husbands cholesterol at when he started Rosuvastatin, iv just started 5mg and I wondered if a dose this low does anything... I dont want to go any higher than 5mg because of the headaches I get from it.
I’m not sure what the exact levels are but they are monitored regularly and haven’t been flagged as increased. Husband had a complete LAD blockage so it’s really important he doesn’t get any other blocked arteries and cholesterol remains low. The reason Rosuvastatin can be given in such a low dose is because the drug is more efficacious and potent than other statins like Atorvastatin, and lower dose = fewer side effects.
Rosuvastatin
Interesting - I may follow up on this 👍
I have been on statins for 20 yrs and I am not diabetic. I had heart surgery and struggle with weight from time to time. However, we are all different. I would check with your doctor. Bisoprol connection doesnt seem likely to me. Good luck 🙂
I had a heart attack 4 years ago and had 1 stent. I was given the usual cocktail of meds including statin, bisoprolol and blood thinners.
I have had an under active thyroid for 30 years.
Suddenly about a year and a half ago I was told I was pre diabetic. My level was 42. I changed my diet and started going to the gym. It raised to 46 and then 48.
I was referred to the nhs diabetes classes and then started the Michael Mosley blood sugar diet. My levels dropped to 44 and I lost 2 stones in weight. Suddenly my level spiked to 50. A week later it was tested again and dropped to 47. The GP thought stress had caused the spike and it’s now, 3 months later at 43.
The GP did say that statins can make you predisposed to diabetes, but do not cause diabetes. The diabetic nurse thought that the shock of having a HA probably caused it.
GP said to carry on doing what I’m doing and not to compare myself to anyone else, hearties or not. We are all different.
All I can say is follow advice, it’s not a quick fix and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
If you’re really struggling to get your HbA1c levels down with a healthy diet and exercise (and you don’t mind taking more medication) you could ask your doctor about taking Empagliflozin. In combination with lifestyle changes it can reduce sugar levels and is also helpful if you have a heart condition. I had my heart attack (with subsequent stent) nearly 8 years ago and have been in and around the pre diabetic border since then. Have discussed taking tablets but trying to avoid it for now.
I had a bypass last year and through bloods showed up as pre-diabetic a few months later. Was referred to a diabetes prevention course, which I have just finished (a year later). I reversed the prediabetes through exercise and diet- change of food and order in which I eat. Read Glucose Revolution by Jesse Inchauspe. It completely changed how I eat. I am on a 80mg dose of Atorvastatin daily.
That's encouraging. I was beginning to wonder if my dietary efforts would still be thwarted by the atorvastatin. Would you mind sharing your worst and best HbA1c figures?
Went from 42 to 39.
One other thing to consider, apart from the above especially about carb management, is intermittent fasting..... There is some advice that having two meals a day, or just one, can have dramatic effects on blood sugar levels. I once had a hba1c score rise to 41, (often it is high 30s) and saw a type 2 diabetes nurse in my GP practice as pre-diabetic. That was her advice.... I've been on statins since 2006, and take all the usual heart meds, and I have and still do exercise regularly. I now eat a big breakfast mid morn, and have a protein load late afternoon and an early dinner. I'm not fanatical about it, but I've not gone back above high 30s since.
Pre Diabetis is the outcome of being insulin resistant for many years. As the years go on your body needs to produce more insulin to get rid of this toxin from your blood. Yes, sugar is a toxin.Insulin is a hormone which tells the body what to do with the food/energy you have consumed and if these are high carb concentration then this excess energy will be stored as fat.
The best way to test if you are insulin sensitive or insulin sensitive is to get a fasting insulin and fasting glucose done at the same time.
Insulin Resistance causes oxidative stress which then oxides lipoproteins which then adhere to your heart artery walls leading to the formation of plaque build up.
Anyone gone into the diabetic range and declared it on travel insurance additional to cardiac issues? If so how much did it add on to your premium? I’ve hovered in pre diabetic range for past 4 years since HA and I’ve been given the option of opting out of my annual review at GPs though will still need 3 monthly bloods for Entresto and Eplerenone. I’m wondering whether they’ll agree to me having my review without doing my HbA1c? My weight is stable and I lead an active lifestyle and I’m asymptomatic (fingers crossed) from a HF point of view.
sounds very similar to myself was stented after an angina diagnosis and put on statins and beta blockers 4 years ago then weight has crept up gradually despite trying to control. I’m a runner and run about 4 times a week and have continued to exercise since diagnosed and I have a healthy diet. I was told I’m pre diabetic after blood test in June so just started the NHS program but I’m convinced it’s the medication that has contributed to the weight increase
Hi I have been pre diabetic for over 15 years. I flow in and out so it's just about being mindful of high Sugar foods like Grapes (they are known as sugar bombs) potatoes, rice ect. If you visit diabetes.co.uk website you be able to get more information
Best wishes
Shabana
My blood sugars followed exactly as you describe, perfectly normal before my CA then pre-diabetic 3 months later, I suspect statins and those 3 months of almost zero exercise to be the cause. I cut out bread, potatoes, pasta and all the usual suspect carbs and exercised very heavily, no difference apart from dramatic weight loss, my 43 reading stayed steady but I was now unhealthily thin. I searched the Internet for similar stories and read really good reports on the use of cinnamon and chia seeds in blood glucose control. Within 3 months of taking 1tbs of chia seeds and ½tsp of cinnamon every morning in my porridge my levels were in the 30's. I still take bread, pasta etc but in much smaller quantities and always wholemeal and look for high fibre on the nutritional labels, this is important.Caution is required with cinnamon if you are on blood pressure meds as it also lowers your BP, I was taking 1tsp at one point but suffered dizzy spells on standing up and slight unsteadiness when walking, cutting back to ½tsp corrected that. Always speak to your doctor beforehand.
My husband was prediabetic for years. He could have reversed it or at least delayed becoming diabetic if he'd changed his diet but he just ignored it. He is now type 2 diabetic on loads of meds, still stuffing hjmself with cakes and biscuits . He has been given statins because his cholesterol is shocking.
I was pre-diabetic for a while. I went on a course, provided by NHS (NHS diabetes prevention programme) -- see image above. I chose the online version -- they give you a consultant/buddy who contacts you every week or so. There's also a face-to-face group version. You have to be referred by your GP. Interesting about statins, etc. I think it's diet and exercise -- my buddy sent me endless recipes, info about mindfulness, etc.
Hi, Trafar,
The whole issue of blood sugar levels, diet, carbohydrates and sugar consumption can be confusing and overwhelming at times.
Unlike several of you, I have been prediabetic for years prior to my HA in March 2022. I was honestly overweight and had a sedentary lifestyle. After my HA, I made some changes immediately in my diet. I began eating more fruits and vegetables, smaller meals, etc. Changes in exercise/movement levels came more slowly as I felt like rubbish for several months after the HA.
I did lose 33 pounds, and I have managed to keep that weight off for the last two years. I was prescribed Atorvastatin (I take 40 mg. daily) and Metoprolol (75mg. daily)—-a statin and a beta blocker. I did discuss the potential risk of the statin increasing my blood sugar levels, but my doctor indicated that this risk is not a scientifically-proven fact. With my last blood test in March 2024, I was still pre-diabetic, but my A1c number was lowered.
My doctor had prescribed cinnamon for me to take daily as there is some evidence that it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. I have not been taking it daily, but I think that I will give it a try. I do sprinkle cinnamon on my Greek yogurt when I have a small dish of it and I put some on my oatmeal at breakfast (when I eat oatmeal). I also recently read that a small walk (even as small as 10 minutes) after a meal can help to regulate blood sugar levels.
I also read food packaging labels and I have read that we need to be especially wary of “added sugars.” I try to absolutely avoid added sugars in foods.
Having said all of this, it is still a struggle to try to lower blood sugar levels and to lose weight. I will look forward to hearing from others who may have some suggestions that might help.
Best wishes to you in figuring all of this out (with your doctor’s input) and in lowering your blood sugar levels. Please share what you learn. ❤️
We had an enormous ( no pun intended) success in weight loss. Bought the Tom Kerridge ‘Dopamine Diet’ book. Amazing delicious recipes all carefully controlled ie low carb
BTW I’m nothing to do with Tom K or his book. I’m just 6.5stone lighter and great sugar controls
Be well
Ok, listen up! I've been prediabetic for many years, with dietary controls, that's exactly what I remain to be now-prediabetic. I am not on any proper diabetic medications, my GP tells me to control sugar intake, that's all.
Only on statin for cholesterol control.
Pre Angiogram Symptoms
Pericarditis as a result of pre-eclampsia
Pre op exercise
ARE STATINS MAKING ME DIABETIC
Pre diabetes post bypass surgery?
