National Diabetes Awareness Month and A Warning about Statins for People with Diabetes!
National Diabetes Month
November is National Diabetes Month. I want to share my personal opinion and research as a warning about statin drugs that are prescribed for general public and for individuals with Type One Diabetes (T1D.
Statin Articles
I first learned about the dangers of statins from my friend and compounding pharmacist, Carter Black, when he sent me the article Statins and Depression: Too Much of a Good Thing? written by Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW.
After reading Batya Swift Yasgur’s article, I learned that most statins can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, reduce serotonin, increase blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)levels, and can cause severe adverse reactions, including depression, aggression, violence, and suicide.
American Diabetes Association Standard of Care
Through continuous research and a call to the Endocrinology Society, I learned that the American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes Care (in the Diabetes Journal 2004 Jan; 27 (suppl 1): s15-s35) states:
Lipid management: The first priority of pharmacological therapy is to lower LDL cholesterol to a target goal of <100 mg/dl (2.60 mmol/l). For LDL lowering, statins are the drugs of choice (61).
The Heart Protection Study demonstrated that in people with diabetes over the age of 40 with a total cholesterol >135 mg/dl, LDL reduction of ∼30% from baseline with the statin, simvastatin was associated with a 25% reduction in the first event rate for major coronary artery events independent of baseline LDL, preexisting vascular disease, type or duration of diabetes, or adequacy of glycemic control (58). Therefore, in patients over the age of 40, statin therapy should be routinely considered. In patients with LDL >130 mg/dl, initial therapy with both lifestyle intervention and a statin is indicated. In patients with LDL between 100 mg/dl (2.60 mmol/l) and 129 mg/dl (3.30 mmol/l), a variety of treatment strategies are available, including more aggressive nutrition intervention or pharmacological treatment with a statin.
Statin Risks
I have collected copious anecdotal stories from individual who have experienced dangerous stain side effects and adverse reactions, such as rhabdomyolysis(injury or death of muscle tissue), damage to the liver and kidneys, and loss of memory, attention, concentration, and depression, and irritability, which I also found on Doctor Beatrice Golumb’s website. Some individuals have also experienced heart attacks and strokes.
Approximately 30 million Americans take cholesterol-lowering medication, making them the most prescribed medications in the U.S. according to A Guide to Cholesterol Medication article from the National Center for Health Research.
Individuals who have T1D live with the never-ending challenges of diabetes. I think that if individuals who live with T1D were educated about statins, they would choose not to take a medication that can raise their blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, lower their serotonin, penetrate their blood-brain barrier, damage their liver and kidneys, and cause rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle damage), joint pain, circulation issues, depression, violence, and suicide. Individuals with T1D have enough to contend with 24/7 just to keep themselves alive!
What Doctors and Patients Do Not Know
People who live with the 24/7 challenges of T1D, surely do not need to add the risks of side effects and adverse reactions to their diabetes regime. But why do they? The answer is sad but simple—they do not know about the dangers of taking a statin because their doctors, who prescribed the statin, do not know either!
It has been disappointing that I have not been able to find ANY research about statins and T1D. What I find is separate information about Type 1 Diabetes or statins. Statin drugs are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. One in four Americans over the age of 45 is taking a statin. However, most of those individuals are not properly warned about the dangerous health risks. Again, I found the life-threatening risks to individuals are NOT noted in the drug disclosure document.
I think that if individuals with T1D or the general public knew the facts about statins and were warned about their health risks, they would not jeopardize their well-being and their lives!
Coronavirus and Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease. In the last 8 months, people have heard or read about medical warnings for people who have diabetes and COVID 19. If you have T1D or T2D you must be more diligent about your diabetes management and health care during the Coronavirus epidemic.
My Personal Thoughts
This is my personal warning about a health risk to people with diabetes. I want to encourage you to do your own research about statin drugs to make a healthy decision about yourself and/or your loved ones!
Purr-fect Pals Book
Another way for me help create an awareness about Diabetes is to share information about Purr-fect Pals: A Kid, A Cat & Diabetes. My unique resource, picture and activity book is designed and written about our son and our cat, and to offers comfort, education and encouragement to children who are either newly diagnosed or have been living with the everyday challenges of Type1 Diabetes (T1D) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and their families.
I allocate 100% of the royalties from my children’s book, Purr-fect Pals: A Kid, A Cat & Diabetes, and 10% of the royalties from the sale of my other books to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)!
Please Spread the Word
