Cholesterol-lowering statins increase diabetes risk

Labels onallcholesterol-lowering statins will be updated to warn of a small increased risk of diabetes, Health Canada says.

"Based on the review of all available data, Health Canada concluded that the risk of diabetes appears to be mainly in patients with pre-existing risk factors for diabetes, such as high levels of glucose or triglycerides, obesity or high blood pressure," the department said in a notice Thursday.

The new labels will apply to the six statinscurrently marketed in Canada:

• Atorvastatin (Lipitor and generics).
• Lovastatin (Mevacor and generics).
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor and generics).
• Simvastatin (Zocor and generics).
• Pravastatin (Pravachol and generics).
• Fluvastatin (Lescol and generics).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a similar warning last February.