Cholesterol medicine can reduce risk of death in adults with type 2 diabetes: study
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Statins, drugs commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, may significantly reduce the risk of death and major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes, including those considered to be at low risk of heart disease, according to a large observational study.
The findings, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, challenge long-standing uncertainty over whether patients with the lowest predicted cardiovascular risk benefit from preventive statin therapy, and suggest that the drugs may offer broader protection than previously assumed.
Statins are primarily used to reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often referred to as “bad” cholesterol, and are widely prescribed to individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease. However, their role in patients with type 2 diabetes who do not have an elevated short-term risk of heart disease has remained a subject of debate.
In the study, researchers, including a team from the University of Hong Kong, analysed health records of adults aged between 25 and 84 years with type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom. Participants were followed for up to 10 years, and none had a history of serious heart disease or liver conditions at the start of the study.
The analysis compared individuals who initiated statin therapy with those who did not, across different levels of predicted cardiovascular risk. The researchers examined outcomes such as all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.
The results showed that statin use was associated with a reduction in the risk of death from any cause and a lower incidence of major cardiovascular events across the entire spectrum of cardiovascular risk. Importantly, these benefits were observed even among individuals classified as having a low predicted risk of heart disease.
The findings indicate that the protective effects of statins in people with type 2 diabetes may not be limited to those at moderate or high cardiovascular risk. Instead, the drugs appear to provide consistent benefits regardless of baseline risk level.
The researchers noted that the data support a broader consideration of statin therapy in adults with type 2 diabetes, including those whose short-term cardiovascular risk is low. This could have implications for clinical guidelines, which often prioritise statin use based on calculated cardiovascular risk scores.
Type 2 diabetes is known to increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease, even in individuals who do not initially present with traditional risk factors. The study adds to growing evidence that early preventive treatment may play a key role in reducing long-term complications associated with the condition.