Lipitor is a statin, a type of drug designed to assist in the treatment of high cholesterol. High cholesterol is a widespread health issue, and drugs like Lipitor may help. However, it has been alleged in hundreds of Lipitor lawsuits that the drug may be linked to serious side effects such as new-onset type-2 diabetes. Despite these Lipitor risks, new U.S. guidelines recommend that more than half of adults should take statins as a heart disease preventative measure — in stark contrast to European Guidelines.

The New U.S. Statin Guidelines

In November of 2013, The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association revised guidelines on prescribing statins. These new guidelines were based on peer-reveviewed research suggesting that more Americans could benefit from statins due to elevated levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Follow-up research at Duke University calculated that this translated into almost 13 million new Americans taking Statins. In fact, the Duke study found that in older populations, as many almost half of Americans ages 40 to 75 and almost all men would be recommended for statins.

This is in stark contrast to European guidelines for statin use. European guidelines actually translate to much lower numbers. According to European statin guidelines, a only 66 percent of males and 39 percent of females were recommended for statin treatment. The European guidelines come from the European Society of Cardiology.

Lipitor Concerns

However, there is growing evidence that statins like Lipitor may been linked to an increase risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Various peer-reviewed papers have indicated that Lipitor can increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, particularly in postmenopausal women. In fact, enough data has mounted that the FDA mandated changes to Lipitor’s labeling to reflect these risk.

Lipitor Class Action Lawsuits

Lipitor lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer Inc. alleging that the manufacturers were aware of the risks, but failed to adequately warn the public. To support this allegation, the Lipitor lawsuits have cited the fact that papers hid the increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes associated with statins. Additionally, the Lipitor lawsuits allege that Pfizer took steps to downplay this risk. For example, it has been alleged that when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated changes to Lipitor’s labeling, the Pfizer cloaked the warning in medical jargon. The changes reference “elevated blood glucose levels,” but never actually used the word “diabetes.”

These Lipitor lawsuits have been consolidated into a mass tort, similar to a Lipitor class action lawsuit. Unlike a Lipitor class action lawsuit, however, plaintiffs in the Lipitor MDL have individual lawsuits and will receive their own individual settlement if awarded.