You were surprised when your doctor told you that you have high cholesterol. After all, you eat right, get plenty exercise, and feel great. However, your doctor said sometimes a healthy lifestyle isn’t enough. He prescribed Lipitor.
You took the drug as directed. At your next check-up, your cholesterol looked great, but your blood sugar was high. Your doctor wasn’t worried. He told you to keep up the great work with diet and exercise. The following year, you were diagnosed with diabetes.
Lipitor is the best-selling drug in the US, but new evidence shows that statins like Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin) may increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The elevated diabetes risk was first observed during a 2008 Crestor study of nearly 18,000 patients. Most recently, researchers in Canada conducted a study of 500,000 Ontario residents. They found that patients taking Lipitor had a 22-percent-higher risk of developing diabetes than patients who were not taking statins. Patients taking Crestor had an 18-percent-higher risk, and patients taking Zocor had a 10-percent-higher risk. Patients taking Pravachol (pravastatin) were less likely to develop diabetes. The study was published online in the journal BMJ. Several other studies have found similar results.
What does this mean for you? When you are prescribed a medication, you have the right to know about any associated risks. You were not told that Lipitor could increase your risk of diabetes. Patients who develop diabetes after taking Lipitor, Crestor, or Zocor may be eligible to file a Utah pharmaceutical injury claim against the maker of the drug. To learn more, contact a Salt Lake City pharmaceutical injury attorney.
Salt Lake City personal injury attorney James Esparza is currently investigating statin diabetes claims. To discuss your case, please call the James Esparza Law Firm at 800-745-4050. The initial consultation is free.