Use of statins is associated with increased risk for developing diabetes, according to a retrospective cohort study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, the authors say the benefits of statins outweigh the dangers in high-risk and secondary-prevention groups.

Researchers from Taiwan examined medical records of 8400 statin users and 34,000 controls who did not use statins. Over 7.2 years’ median follow-up, the annual rate of incident diabetes was higher among statin users than nonusers (2.4% vs. 2.1%). However, patients taking statins had reduced risk for myocardial infarction (HR, 0.82) and in-hospital death (HR, 0.61).

The authors conclude: “Continuous surveillance of signals of dysglycemia should be incorporated into the care program to optimize overall risk management.”

Source: JACC