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A new research revealed that 33 percent of women above 75 are at higher risk of acquiring diabetes if they are taking statins, a drug used to regulate high levels of blood cholesterol. Their risk of acquiring the disease increases if their statin consumption is higher. This discovery alerts clinicians in carefully prescribing the drug for the elderly female patients.

The Medical News Today reported that a new study from Australia discovered that older women taking statins to lower cholesterol have significantly higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those who do not take the drug. The research was conducted at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia and involved 8,000 women aged 75 and over. Those who were taking statins had a higher chance of being diagnosed with new-onset diabetes, 33 percent higher, compared to non-statin takers.

Type 1 diabetes is a form of diabetes where the immune system targets the insulin-producing organ of the body. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is acquired through the lifestyle choices and eating habits of a person.

Statins is a known drug that helps in removing cholesterol from the blood. Too much cholesterol in the blood can build up and create plaque in the wall of the arteries that can trigger a stroke or heart disease.

Out of the data analyzed from the test subjects, the researchers found that 49 percent of the women had filed prescriptions for stations. Five percent of these number had begun treatment for new-onset diabetes over the 10 years of follow-up, the Science Daily cited.

Thus, experts involved in the study suggests that doctors and their elderly female patients should be aware of the potential problems that statin consumption can inflict onto them. Women who are taking stations should be carefully monitored for any changes in blood glucose to be able to detect and manage diabetes early.

Statins are considered as the most effective and safest drug in managing high blood cholesterol. However, with this recent discovery, clinicians should look into the potentials of their elderly patient acquiring diabetes due to statin consumption to be able to adapt precautionary medications and therapies.