In this brief commentary, Dr. David Perlmutter highlights a large observational study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that followed over 160,000 women for five years. The study found that women taking statin medications—a class of cholesterol‑lowering drugs—had a 48% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to non‑users. Dr. Perlmutter emphasizes that type 2 diabetes roughly doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition with no cure, and therefore urges caution in the widespread use of statins. He frames the findings as critical information for anyone seeking to avoid diabetes and its downstream impact on brain health.
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Because of the close correlation between becoming a diabetic and increasing your risk for Alzheimer's, you really want to do everything you possibly can to not become a diabetic and keep your blood sugars under control. Well, a new study has actually demonstrated that exposure to a certain chemical can increase the risk of diabetes by as much as 48%. Let's take a look at that study. This is a study looking at women, but encompassed more than 160,000 women. When exposed to this chemical, their risk of becoming type 2 diabetic increased by 48%. What was that chemical? The chemical was a statin drug used to treat cholesterol. Now think about that. This is a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. That's a journal put out by the American Medical Association, and this was a very robust study looking at more than 160,000 women followed for a 5-year period of time. They looked at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in those who were using statin drugs versus those who were not, and here's what they found. Here's a graphic example of what happened to these women. In the red on the right side of your screen, a 48% increased risk. In women taking statin drugs in terms of becoming diabetic. Now let me remind you, if you become diabetic, type 2, you double your risk for Alzheimer's, a disease for which there is no treatment. This study put out in an American Medical Association journal called Archives of Internal Medicine shows that women taking statin medications have a 48% increased risk of becoming diabetic. This is important information. I really think you should think about it. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter.
