Side Effects of Crestor May Increase Diabetes Risk

Please note that the lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are no longer taking on new cases involving Crestor. The content on this page is provided for informational purposes only.

Crestor (rosuvastatin) is a blockbuster cholesterol drug manufactured by AstraZeneca, which is one of the most prescribed medications in the United States.

Although it has been heavily marketed as a safe and effective treatment, a number of studies have suggested a link between Crestor and diabetes. The cholesterol drug may impact blood sugar levels and place individuals at risk of serious health problems. However, AstraZeneca has failed to provide sufficient warnings and information for consumers or the medical community about the potential side effects of Crestor.

Crestor Risk Information

Crestor was first approved in 2003 for use in patients with bad cholesterol and a history of heart disease. However, approval was expanded in 2010 to include otherwise “healthy” individuals who have elevated C-reactive protein levels, to help prevent heart attacks, strokes and death.

Since it was introduced, there has been controversy surrounding the medication and whether the benefits provided justify the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects, including a severe muscle injury known as rhabdomyolysis, kidney problems and diabetes.

Amid aggressive marketing, it has become the top selling drug in the United States, with more than 23.7 million prescription written per year and about $6 billion a year in sales.

The medication is part of a class of choelsterol medications known as statins, which also includes Lipitor and Zocor.

Statins work by preventing the liver from creating an enzyme that helps the body produce cholesterol. This helps the body reduce the levels of low-density lioprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to as “bad cholesterol”.

Crestor is marketed by AstraZeneca as “super-statin”, playing on the high-potency of the medication. However, it is also known that the side effect of Crestor are dose-responsive, meaning that they are more severe at higher doses. Yet, inadequate warnings have been provided about the potentially Crestor risks, including the danger of developing diabetes.

Crestor and Diabetes

In February 2012, the FDA required new warnings for Crestor and all other statin-based medications, adding information to the drug labels about the risk of the class of cholesterol drugs increasing blood sugar levels. However, multiple reports suggest that AstraZeneca knew or should have known about the potential Crestor diabetes side effects long before that time, and the drug maker has failed to provide proper information to the medical community or potential users about the extent of the risk of becoming a diabetic from Crestor.

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet in February 2010 found that side effects of statins like Crestor may increase the risk of diabetes by 9%. That data came from a review of 13 different studies invlolving 91,000 patients between 1994 and 2009, including all statins, not just Crestor.

In a follow up study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in June 2011, researchers highlighted how high-dose statins like Crestor may carry a particularly increased risk when compared to moderate dose statins.

In January 2012, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicated that women who took statins may face a 48% increased risk of diabetes when compared to women who do not take the cholesterol drugs. These findings came after adjusting for other health factors for diabetes, such as weight and age.

The Crestor diabetes risk was further examined in a study published in the British Medical Journal in May 2013, which compared the potential side effects associated with different statins. Researchers found that side effects of Crestor specifically may be associated with an 18% increased risk of diabetes when compared to pravastatin.

Lawsuits Over Failure to Warn About Crestor Diabetes Risk

Being diagnosed as a diabetic from Crestor can have a severe impact on an individuals overall health and quality of life. Managing Type 2 Diabetes requires frequent testing of blood glucose levels, adherence to a strict diabetic diet and leads to the use of additional medications to control diabetes.

The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. previously investigated individual lawsuits throughout the United States by users who were diagnosed with diabetes after taking Crestor. If adequate warnings and information about the Crestor diabetes risk had be provided, individuals may have avoided this serious illness by choosing not to use the medication or by carefully monitoring blood glucose levels during treatment.

As a result of AstraZeneca’s decision to place their desire for profits before the safety of Crestor users, financial compensation was pursued by former users who are now diabetic.

New cases are no longer being accepted by Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.