Lipitor is a popular statin medication designed to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting an enzyme that plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver. We have heard of the “good” cholesterol and the “bad” Cholesterol. Lipitor is prescribed to help prevent the production of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), also known as the “bad” cholesterol because it is known to block arteries. Lipitor is the brand name for the drug Atorvastatin. It is sold by Pfizer and was approved by the FDA in 1996. Lipitor is prescribed in either 10 or 80 mg tablets taken daily. Pfizer has recorded over $125 billion in sales of Lipitor.
STATINS SHOWN TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE DIABETES INCIDENCE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
In January of 2012, a study published in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that female patients between the ages of 50 and 79 who took statin medications (i.e., Lipitor and other LDL-lowering drugs) were 48 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes as compared to women in the same age group who did not take the drugs.
Pharmacist Annie L. Culver and her team from the Rochester Methodist Hospital, Mayo Clinic in Minnesota analyzed data from the national, multi-year Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) to garner results for this study. Researchers analyzed data to include 153,840 women without diabetes with an average age of 63 years. Statin use was assessed at enrollment and again in year three. At the outset, 7 percent of the women reported taking a statin medication. The scientists found 10,242 new cases of diabetes and determined that statin use was positively associated with an increased risk of diabetes. The association remained after adjusting for other potential variables, including age, race or ethnicity and body mass index, and was observed for all types of statins. Dr. Culver noted, “The results of this study imply that statin use conveys an increased risk of new-onset DM (diabetes mellitus) in postmenopausal woman.”
A deeper analysis of the data found that diabetes incidence increased in this cohort of post-menopausal women by 71 percent.
ADDITIONAL STUDIES DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS
In addition, three other studies looking into the connection between statin use and diabetes have indicated significant issues. These were published in medical journals Atherosclerosis, the Journal of American College of Cardiology, and Lancet.
The Atherosclerosis Study
Published in 2010, Differential Metabolic Effects of Distinct Statins looked at the metabolic effects of statins, narrowing in on what causes the onset of diabetes in patients. The study discovered that patients who take daily doses of Lipitor increase their risk of developing diabetes, even without preexisting conditions that could contribute to developing diabetes.
The Journal of American College of Cardiology Study
Published in 2011, entitled Predictors of New-Onset Diabetes in Patients Treated With Atorvastatin, the JACC study looked at the dosage amounts of Lipitor and found that patients who take daily doses of Lipitor at 80 mg experience a higher risk of developing diabetes compared to a control group of patients who did not take daily Lipitor doses.
The Lancet Study
Statins and Risk of Incident Diabetes: A Collaborative Meta-Analysis of Randomised Statin Trials was published in 2010. The Lancet study looked at several Lipitor-related studies and discovered that patients taking statin drugs such as Lipitor experience a 9 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Litigation Growing
A number of cases have been filed on behalf of people who were diagnosed with Diabetes while taking Lipitor. On July 25, 2013, a hearing was held before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) in Portland, Maine seeking to coordinate the cases before the Federal Court in South Carolina. The prospective Lipitor type-2 diabetes MDL would be In re: Lipitor (atorvastatin) Litigation, MDL No. 2459, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Carolina.
The Brandi Law Firm is currently investigating these cases for a number of women. The Brandi Law Firm is nationally recognized for its long involvement in cases involving defects in drugs or devices. If you or a loved one have taken Lipitor and been diagnosed with Diabetes, based on medical studies, there is a potential claim against the manufacturer. If you would like more information, please contact the Brandi Law Firm by e-mail or call 415-989-1800 or (800) 481-1615. We have also set up a website dedicated to providing the most up to date Lipitor lawyer and Lipitor lawsuit information at www.lipitorlawsuitattorney.com.