Lipitor (atorvastatin), is a very popular statin drug. Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol. They are controversial and heavily prescribed, even to people who have normal cholesterol and have not been diagnosed with heart disease. In the past, studies have shown that taking statins, including Lipitor, can increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. A new study, published in May, 2015, has again confirmed that risk.
Lipitor Diabetes Risk Confirmed in 2012
In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of the increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when taking statins, including Lipitor. That year also marked the end of a seven year study that found that perimenopausal and post-menopausal women have a 50% greater chance of developing the disease than others, when taking Lipitor.
Now we have a new study, published in the BMJ in May, 2015, showing that Lipitor users have a 22% higher chance of developing new Type 2 diabetes.
Pharmaceutical Companies Have Everything to Gain
For the pharmaceutical companies that make statins, the fact that people who take the drugs are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes only means that they can profit even more. Their statin customers can buy another drug from them to treat the condition the first drug caused. It’s a win/win for drug makers and a lose/lose for patients.
The chance of some government agency or official stepping in and putting a stop to it is virtually nonexistent. But you have the power to do something about it. The one thing that influences the drug companies and can persuade them to stop selling a dangerous drug, is when the cost of hurting people becomes greater than the profit. If you or someone you love has been harmed by taking Lipitor or another statin, you can take back a piece of the profit. Talk to an experienced defective drug attorney to learn how.
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