People suffering from the most common form of diabetes could sharply cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes by taking a cholesterol-lowering drug even if they have normal cholesterol levels, according to a major new study.
The study of more than 2,800 patients with Type 2 diabetes found that those who took the cholesterol drug Lipitor were more than one-third less likely to have a heart attack, nearly half as likely to have a stroke and about one-third less likely to die from any form of cardiovascular disease.
“This is a landmark study with watertight data showing clear evidence of a benefit that warrants people to really look at their treatment of this group of patients,” said the study’s lead author, Helen Colhoun, a professor at the University College Dublin. The study was terminated two years early because the results were so striking.
Most other experts agreed, saying the findings provide the most convincing evidence yet that most diabetics should consider taking the drugs regardless of their cholesterol levels. The research is the latest in a series of studies showing that the widely popular class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins could benefit far more people than are taking them.
“This is another extraordinary result,” said Peter Libby, a Harvard Medical School cardiologist.
Although the study, published in Saturday’s issue of the journal The Lancet, received some funding from Lipitor’s maker, Pfizer Inc., it was supported primarily by the British government and the British equivalent of the American Diabetes Association, and conducted independently of the company, Colhoun said.
About 17 million Americans suffer from Type 2 diabetes, which has been increasing rapidly in the United States because of the rising number of overweight people. Doctors have long known that diabetes sharply increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but patients generally do not take statins unless they have high cholesterol levels.
The American Diabetes Association will consider the new findings when it issues new guidelines in January on the use of cholesterol drugs for diabetics, said Nathaniel Clark, the group’s vice president for clinical affairs.
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