Statin prescribing and diabetes

It is well established that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) – whether this be acute coronary syndrome, stroke or heart failure.¹ A telling statistic is that people with diabetes have the same risk of myocardial infarction (MI) as those without diabetes who have already had a previous MI.²

Underlying causes
Hyperglycaemia in diabetes leads to endothelial damage. This, together with subsequent inflammatory processes, drives the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques appear to be less stable in people with diabetes and more prone to rupture, thereby triggering thrombus formation and a cardiovascular event.³ Key factors that accelerate the atherosclerotic process are smoking, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.