In type 1 diabetics, statins significantly increase the risk of developing diabetes-related complications.

This study was published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 31st October 2015

Study title and authors:
Statins are Independently Associated with Increased HbA1c in Type 1 Diabetes–The Thousand & 1 Study
Magnus Thorsten Jensen, Henrik Ullits Andersen, Peter Rossing, Jan Skov Jensen

This study can be accessed at: http://www.diabetesresearchclinicalpractice.com/article/S0168-8227(15)00423-4/abstract

The term HbA1c refers to glycated haemoglobin. It develops when haemoglobin, a protein within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body, joins with glucose in the blood, becoming 'glycated'.

By measuring glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), clinicians are able to get an overall picture of what our average blood sugar levels have been over a period of weeks/months.

For people with diabetes this is important as the higher the HbA1c, the greater the risk of developing diabetes-related complications.

This study examined the association between statin use and HbA1c levels in type 1 diabetics without known heart disease. The study included 1,093 patients, average age 49.6 years, who had had type 1 diabetes for an average of 25.5 years.

The study found that statin use was independently and significantly associated with higher HbA1c levels.