Hiroaki Satoh, Akihiro Kudoh, Hiroyuki Hirai and Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Introduction: Statins reduce cardiovascular risk in populations targeted for both primary and secondary prevention. The potential of statin use to impact the risk of developing new onset diabetes has been suggested. However, there have been a few large-scale RCTs of pitavastatin which is the statin, but adverse effects on glucose metabolism and diabetes onset were not documented by meta analysis.
Case reports: We report two patients with type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia showing amelioration of insulin resistance with pitavastatin. The improvements were attributed to effects of pitavastatin on glucose and insulin metabolism. A 75-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension were given pitavastatin (2 mg/day) for 6 months, without changes in other medication. Before and after treatment, both received euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp studies to assess insulin sensitivity. After 6 months, glucose infusion rates were increased in both subjects.
Conclusion: These cases suggest that pitavastatin, unlike other statins, has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity in an insulin-resistant state.