Do cholesterol drugs like evolocumab cause diabetes?
Impact of PCSK9 inhibitors in glycaemic control and new-onset diabetes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at people taking powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors to see if they were more likely to get diabetes.
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 556 / 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.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at people taking powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors to see if they were more likely to get diabetes.
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 556 / 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.
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Claims (4)
In adults with prediabetes, long-term use of PCSK9 inhibitors may be linked to a slight increase in the rate of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those not taking these drugs, but the difference is not large enough to be considered clinically meaningful, and overall glucose metabolism is not significantly affected.
In adults taking PCSK9 inhibitors, higher fasting glucose levels before treatment are linked to a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes, with each 1 mg/dL increase corresponding to a 10% higher odds, regardless of age, body weight, statin use, or cholesterol changes.
In people with type 2 diabetes, taking PCSK9 inhibitors for three years does not lead to a meaningful increase in blood sugar levels or HbA1c, indicating no negative impact on diabetes control.
In patients taking PCSK9 inhibitors, those with familial hypercholesterolemia developed new-onset diabetes at the same rate as those without this genetic condition, indicating that the genetic condition does not independently raise diabetes risk in this group.