Statins are medications widely used to lower cholesterol and help prevent heart disease.
Now, new research from the University of Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and Keele University shows which statins work best for people with diabetes.
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and supports updated health guidelines in the UK.
People with diabetes are already at higher risk for heart problems. One of the biggest dangers comes from high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, especially something called non-HDL cholesterol. This type of cholesterol includes LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and other harmful fats that can clog arteries and raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Doctors usually focus on lowering LDL cholesterol, but recent guidelines suggest that non-HDL cholesterol is a better target. Non-HDL is easy to calculate—it’s just your total cholesterol minus the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. This study looked at how well seven commonly used statins lower non-HDL cholesterol in people with diabetes.
The researchers found that the most effective statins for lowering non-HDL cholesterol were:
– Rosuvastatin (moderate or high dose)
– Simvastatin (high dose)
– Atorvastatin (high dose)
These three statins lowered non-HDL cholesterol by about 2.20 to 2.31 mmol/l over 12 weeks. Among people at very high risk of heart attacks or strokes, high-dose atorvastatin worked especially well, cutting non-HDL by around 2.0 mmol/l.
The results back up the new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which recommend using non-HDL cholesterol to measure treatment success. Although NICE does not endorse any specific statin, this study helps doctors see which ones may work best.
For people with type 2 diabetes, this research is important. It shows that using the right statin—and at the right dose—can make a big difference in reducing the risk of heart disease. Doctors can use non-HDL cholesterol as an easy and reliable way to track treatment and make better choices for their patients.
If you are managing diabetes, talk to your doctor about which statin might be right for you. Also, research shows that lifestyle matters too. Not all whole grain foods are helpful for type 2 diabetes, but green tea might lower the risk of death. A healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet, may reduce the risk of diabetes by one third.
This study was published in the medical journal BMJ.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that Manganese can help clear arterial plaques and treat heart disease and Aspirin use linked to heart failure.
For more about heart health, please read studies about the blood thinner drug that can prevent strokes in people with hidden heart issues and new guidelines on daily aspirin for heart attack and stroke prevention.
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