Diabetic adverse events associated with three commonly used statins: a disproportionality analysis based on the FDA adverse event reporting system database

Background: The increasing prevalence of statin use for cardiovascular disease management has raised concerns regarding their safety profile, particularly regarding the potential risk of diabetes. Our study aims to analyze diabetic adverse event reports related to statins using a large pharmacovigilance database to provide timely insights into this significant issue.

Methods: We analyzed data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2004 to 2023. Disproportionality analyses were performed to detect signals of diabetic adverse events associated with the three most commonly prescribed statins: atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin.

Results: We identified 11,364 cases of statin-related diabetic adverse events across the three statins. Disproportionality analyses revealed a significant association between these statins and four specific diabetic adverse events: type 2 diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinal edema. Notable sex differences emerged, with females exhibiting an overall significantly higher propensity for diabetes-related adverse events.

Conclusions: Our study is timely and relevant as it addresses growing concerns about the safety of widely prescribed statins and their association with diabetes. By highlighting these critical issues, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights to practitioners, ultimately guiding better clinical practices and enhancing pharmacovigilance efforts.