A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that statins, drugs used to lower cholesterol levels, increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This is the conclusion that reserachers arrived at when they studied postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).
Women taking a statin drug in the beginning of the study had a 48% greater risk of developing diabetes compared with women who were not taking these drugs.
Statins are commonly prescribed by doctors to reduce the risk of heart disease and other complications of having too much cholesterol in the blood. It is estimated that half of men between 65 and 74 and 33% of women above the age of 75 take statin drugs.
Complications associated with statin drug use include headache, weakness, joint and muscle pain, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, lower legs or throat, and diarrhea. Statins can damage your liver.
Eventhough your body makes cholesterol, most cases of elevated blood cholesterol are the result of eating the wrong foods. Animal-based foods, such as chicken and low-fat milk, are culprits in raising choleserol levels. Wouldn't it be safer to change your diet to reduce your cholesterol with which the only side effects of eating a plant-based diet are lasting weight loss and disease prevention and reversal?
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