Why statins might raise blood sugar
Chronic HMGCR/HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor treatment contributes to dysglycemia by upregulating hepatic gluconeogenesis through autophagy induction
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Statins help lower cholesterol but can make the liver produce more sugar, especially in people who already have trouble with insulin. This happens because statins turn on a cellular cleanup process called autophagy, which accidentally makes the liver pump out more sugar.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Statins help lower cholesterol but can make the liver produce more sugar, especially in people who already have trouble with insulin. This happens because statins turn on a cellular cleanup process called autophagy, which accidentally makes the liver pump out more sugar.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 56 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Wang HJ, Park JY, Kwon O, Choe EY, Kim CH, Hur KY, Lee MS, Yun M, Cha BS, Kim YB, Lee H, Kang ES
Related Content
Claims (6)
HMG-CoA reductase inhibition with statins modestly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, particularly in individuals with pre-existing insulin resistance.
In mice that are overweight and have insulin problems, statins make their livers more active in making sugar, which worsens high blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Taking statins for a long time may cause the liver to make more sugar, which can raise blood sugar levels.
Statins seem to trigger a cellular cleanup process in the liver that accidentally makes the liver produce more sugar.
When key genes needed for cellular cleanup are turned off, statins can’t make the liver produce extra sugar anymore.