Key result
Statin therapy increases the odds of incident type 2 diabetes by ~25% across sexes.
Why the study?
Does statin therapy differentially increase the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in females compared to males in primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention trials?
Meta-Analysis (n=106,054)
Does statin therapy differentially increase the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in females compared to males in primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention trials?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
This umbrella review and meta-analysis shows that statin therapy increases relative type 2 diabetes risk similarly by ~25% in both women and men, while highlighting a critical lack of sex-disaggregated trial data needed to determine sex-specific absolute risks.
Statins reduce cardiovascular risk but modestly increase type 2 diabetes (T2D). Evidence is limited by underrepresentation of women and lack of sex-specific analyses. In an umbrella review and meta-analysis of 21 trials with sex-disaggregated data, statins increased T2D risk similarly in women (OR 1.28) and men (OR 1.24). However, absence of study-level data precluded assessment of statin-specific or absolute risks, highlighting the need for more research in this area.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Wander et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (n=106,054). Statin therapy vs. Placebo or usual care was evaluated on Incident type 2 diabetes (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.13-1.39). Statin therapy increased the odds of incident type 2 diabetes overall, with similar relative risks in females and males.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: