Large Study Finds Statins Benefit All Type 2 Diabetes Patients Regardless of Heart Risk Level

A decade-long analysis of UK health records challenges the conventional wisdom that only high-risk type 2 diabetes patients should receive preventive statin therapy.

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong analyzed data from the IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD-UK) database, tracking adults aged 25–84 with type 2 diabetes and no pre-existing heart disease or liver issues over up to 10 years.

The study found that statin use was associated with reduced mortality and major cardiovascular events across all 10-year risk categories, contradicting traditional risk stratification models.

The observational cohort design identified strong associations between statin therapy and improved outcomes but did not establish causality. Minimal myopathy was reported in one risk group, with no increased liver-related complications.

The authors caution that residual confounding factors may influence the results, as the study could not control for medication adherence or biases inherent in electronic health records.

"Reliance on short-term risk estimates may cause some patients to miss out on treatments that could help them live longer," the researchers noted. They recommend re-evaluating clinical guidelines to consider statin therapy for all type 2 diabetes patients, regardless of baseline cardiovascular risk.

However, the team emphasizes that further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and address limitations in the current evidence.