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Statins can cut diabetes risk
Spare tyre and high blood pressure? You may need to take these cholesterol-lowering medications
Over a million people at risk of heart disease in the UK already take statin drugs to bring down their cholesterol levels. Now, scientists in the US have discovered that the drugs, which reduce the production of 'bad' LDL cholesterol in the liver, may help people suffering from metabolic syndrome too. This is a condition defined by a range of features including abdominal obesity and high blood pressure.
On the rise
It is estimated that up to 25 per cent of British adults suffer from metabolic syndrome, which is becoming more common with the rise in the number of obese adults in the UK. People with the syndrome are twice as likely to develop heart disease and five times as likely to develop diabetes. Over two million people in the UK have diabetes, which occurs when the body is unable to regulate sugar levels in the blood.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that statins dramatically reduce disease-causing inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome, as well as bringing down cholesterol levels. Low-grade inflammation, coupled with insulin resistance, is one of the characteristic signs of the condition.
Dietary changes
"Changes in diet and exercise resulting in weight loss are still the treatment of choice for preventing the consequences of metabolic syndrome," said Kenny Jialal, director of the Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at the University of California. "However, people don't always adhere to those changes. Our results suggest that statins may be a way to forestall the deadly complications of metabolic syndrome."
According to the British Heart Foundation, a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome would be made in someone who is obese plus any two of the following:
- Raised fasting plasma glucose - a test indicating that the body is not controlling blood sugar levels as well as it should
- Raised triglyceride (blood fat) levels
- Reduced HDL cholesterol
- Raised blood pressure
Talk about statins on Saga Zone
If you would like to discuss statins, please visit Saga Zone's Health Forum
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
