Statins may not be the best choice for physically active people, even short term. A study by researchers from VA North Texas Health Care System in Dallas, University of Texas in Austin, and Joint Base Antonio-Fort Sam in Houston, Texas, found higher risks of diabetes and diabetic complications—“without any of the hoped-for cardiovascular benefits.”
It is already established that statins can raise the risk of diabetes. But the military health researchers say there has been no primary prevention clinical trial to examine the overall adverse events (AEs) of statins in physically active people. In a previous study of TRICARE enrollees, the researchers found that short-term statin therapy was not associated with reduced cardiovascular morbidity but was associated with increased risk of AEs. To follow up on those findings, the researchers conducted another study to examine the short- and long-term AEs of statins in active-duty military—chosen precisely because of their physical fitness.
The study, which involved 837 statin users and 2,488 nonusers, covered 2001-2011. The researchers captured 3 intervals: short-term outcomes, 2006; intermediate outcomes, 2006-2009; and long-term outcomes, 2006-2011.
Statin users had nearly twice the risk of diabetes compared with nonusers: 12.5% vs 5.8%. They also had a higher incidence of diabetes with complications: 1.7% vs 0.7%. However, the overall incidence of major acute cardiovascular events was low: 2.58 events per 1,000 person-years in users, and 2.63 events in nonusers. That small number meant the researchers could not show beneficial cardiovascular effects due to statins.
Their findings help fill a gap in the literature, the researchers say, and highlight the possibility that some healthy and active individuals may be receiving statins unnecessarily, putting them at risk for AEs. Moreover, those risks persist long after statins are discontinued, the researchers note. Their study suggests that “we may need to adjust our approach and priorities to primary prevention.”
Source:
Mansi IA, English JL, Morris MJ, Zhang S, Mortensen EM, Halm EA. J Sci Med Sport. 2017;20(7):627-632.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2016.12.075.
