Statin Initiation Beneficial in T2DM, Regardless of Cardiovascular Risk

MONDAY, Jan. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), statin initiation is associated with reductions in all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk across the full spectrum of predicted cardiovascular risk, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Vincent Ka Chun Yan, Ph.D., from The University of Hong Kong, and colleagues examined the effectiveness and safety of statin initiation for primary prevention among adults with T2DM by predicted 10-year risk for CVD in a cohort study using target trial emulation. Participants were aged 25 to 84 years and had a diagnosis of T2DM. Statin initiators were propensity score-matched to noninitiators within four QRISK3 strata of 10-year predicted cardiovascular risk: low, intermediate, high, and very high (<10, 10 to 19, 20 to 29, and ≥30 percent, respectively). Risk differences (RDs) and risk ratios (RRs) were assessed at 10 years of follow-up for all-cause mortality and major CVD.

The researchers found that across QRISK3 strata, statin initiation was associated with reductions in all-cause mortality and major CVD. RDs and RRs were −0.53 percent and 0.80, respectively, for all-cause mortality, and −0.83 percent and 0.78, respectively, for major CVD in the low-risk stratum. In the moderate-risk stratum only, a small increased risk for myopathy was observed; no associated increased risk was seen for liver dysfunction in any stratum.

“Clinicians should consider the benefits of using statins in all adults with T2DM even when short-term predicted CVD risk is low,” the authors write.

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