Statins are the most widely prescribed drugs in the world for preventing heart disease. In the journal Metabolomics, scientists studied whether statin-induced changes in metabolism correlated with statin-induced signs of diabetes.

Subjects who had not been treated with a statin medication were given 40 mg per day of simvastatin (Zocor) for six weeks. Pre- and post-treatment blood tests were drawn to determine if metabolic markers consistent with diabetes were seen in statin users.

After six weeks of simvastatin treatment, 6.9 percent of the patients developed hyperglycemia and 25 percent developed changes consistent with development of prediabetes.

In addition, 53 percent of subjects treated with statins had altered function of insulin-producing cells (beta cells), and 54 percent developed insulin resistance.

Statins are the most profitable drugs for Big Pharma. More than one-third of U.S. adults currently take a statin drug to prevent heart disease. But the side effects of statins include increased risk of diabetes.

Insulin resistance is probably the number one factor causing the diabetes epidemic in our country. When cells become resistant to insulin, it causes blood sugar to rise.

Diabetes is an independent risk factor for heart disease. Why would a doctor prescribe a drug to prevent heart disease when it causes a significant increase in the risk of diabetes? I have a hard time answering that question.

In the best studies, statin drugs were about 1 percent effective for preventing heart disease. When you factor in the increased risk of diabetes, I can state confidently that statins should have no place in preventative medicine.

More information about statin drugs can be found in my book, The Statin Disaster.