Differences in the diabetogenic effect of statins in patients with prediabetes. The PRELIPID study / Diferencias en cuanto al efecto diabetógeno de las estatinas en pacientes con prediabetes. Estudio Prelipid

Introduction:Statins are used with the understanding that a slightly increased risk of diabetes is outweighed by their cardiovascular benefits. However, it may be necessary to reconsider whether statin therapy really increase this risk mainly in the population with prediabetes.Methods:A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted to assess the relationship between statin therapy and glucose metabolism in 407 patients aged 63.1 years (11SD) diagnosed with dyslipidemia and prediabetes treated in specialized lipid clinics in Spain.Results:Significant differences were found in HbA1c values among treatment groups (p=0.015). Patients treated with pitavastatin (1–4mg/day) showed the lowest HbA1c levels, with significant differences compared to patients treated with atorvastatin 40–80mg/day (p=0.016) and simvastatin 10–40mg/day (p=0.036). By contrast, patients treated with atorvastatin 40–80mg/day showed the highest HbA1c levels compared to those receiving atorvastatin 10–20mg/day (p=0.003), pitavastatin 1–4mg/day (p=0.016), pravastatin 20–40mg/day (p=0.027), rosuvastatin 5–10mg/day (p=0.043), and no statin treatment (p=0.004). Patients treated with simvastatin 10–40mg/day also had higher values than those treated with atorvastatin 10–20mg/day (p=0.016) and pitavastatin 1–4mg/day (p=0.036) or with no statin treatment (p=0.018).Conclusions:This study suggests that there are differences in the diabetogenic effect of statins. Simvastatin and high doses of atorvastatin may be associated with greater impairment in glucose metabolism than pitavastatin and other statins with less lipid-lowering potency such as pravastatin. (AU)

Introducción:Las estatinas son utilizadas de acuerdo con el entendimiento de que el pequeño riesgo de incremento de diabetes se ve compensado por sus beneficios cardiovasculares. Sin embargo, puede resultar necesario reconsiderar si la terapia con estatinas incrementa realmente el riesgo, principalmente en la población con prediabetes.Métodos:Se realizó un estudio multicéntrico, transversal y observacional para evaluar la relación entre la terapia con estatinas y el metabolismo de la glucosa en 407 pacientes de 63,1 años (11 DE) diagnosticados de dislipidemia y prediabetes tratados en clínicas especializadas en lípidos en España.Resultados:Se encontraron diferencias significativas en los valores de HbA1c entre los grupos de tratamiento (p=0,015). Los pacientes tratados con pitavastatina (1-4mg/día) reflejaron los menores niveles de HbA1c, con diferencias significativas en comparación con los pacientes tratados con atorvastatina 40-80mg/día (p=0,016) y simvastatina 10-40mg/día (p=0,036). Por contra, los pacientes tratados con atorvastatina 40-80mg/día reflejaron los mayores niveles de HbA1c en comparación con los pacientes que recibieron atorvastatina 10-20mg/día (p=0,003), pitavastatina 1-4mg/día (p=0,016), pravastatina 20-40mg/día (p=0,027), rosuvastatina 5-10mg/día (p=0,043) y los que no recibieron estatinas (p=0,004). Los pacientes tratados con simvastatina 10-40mg/día tuvieron también valores más elevados que aquellos pacientes tratados con atorvastatina 10-20mg/día (p=0,016) y pitavastatina 1-4mg/día (p=0,036) que no recibieron estatinas (p=0,018).Conclusiones:El presente estudio sugiere que existen diferencias en cuanto al efecto diabetógeno de las estatinas. Simvastatina y las altas dosis de atorvastatina pueden guardar relación con un mayor deterioro del metabolismo de la glucosa que pitavastatina y demás estatinas con menor potencia de reducción de lípidos, tales como pravastatina. (AU)

Melatonin in the Prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers (MeCOVID): A Randomised Clinical Trial.

We evaluated in this randomised, double-blind clinical trial the efficacy of melatonin as a prophylactic treatment for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Healthcare workers fulfilling inclusion criteria were recruited in five hospitals in Spain and were randomised 1:1 to receive melatonin 2 mg administered orally for 12 weeks or placebo. The main outcome was the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections. A total of 344 volunteers were screened, and 314 were randomised: 151 to placebo and 163 to melatonin; 308 received the study treatment (148 placebo; 160 melatonin). We detected 13 SARS-CoV-2 infections, 2.6% in the placebo arm and 5.5% in the melatonin arm (p = 0.200). A total of 294 adverse events were detected in 127 participants (139 in placebo; 155 in melatonin). We found a statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events related to treatment: 43 in the placebo arm and 67 in the melatonin arm (p = 0.040), and in the number of participants suffering from somnolence related to treatment: 8.8% (n = 14) in the melatonin versus 1.4% (n = 2) in the placebo arm (p = 0.008). No severe adverse events related to treatment were reported. We cannot confirm our hypothesis that administration of melatonin prevents the development of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers.

Differences in the diabetogenic effect of statins in patients with prediabetes. The PRELIPID study.

INTRODUCTION: Statins are used with the understanding that a slightly increased risk of diabetes is outweighed by their cardiovascular benefits. However, it may be necessary to reconsider whether statin therapy really increase this risk mainly in the population with prediabetes. METHODS: A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted to assess the relationship between statin therapy and glucose metabolism in 407 patients aged 63.1 years (11SD) diagnosed with dyslipidemia and prediabetes treated in specialized lipid clinics in Spain. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in HbA1c values among treatment groups (p=0.015). Patients treated with pitavastatin (1-4mg/day) showed the lowest HbA1c levels, with significant differences compared to patients treated with atorvastatin 40-80mg/day (p=0.016) and simvastatin 10-40mg/day (p=0.036). By contrast, patients treated with atorvastatin 40-80mg/day showed the highest HbA1c levels compared to those receiving atorvastatin 10-20mg/day (p=0.003), pitavastatin 1-4mg/day (p=0.016), pravastatin 20-40mg/day (p=0.027), rosuvastatin 5-10mg/day (p=0.043), and no statin treatment (p=0.004). Patients treated with simvastatin 10-40mg/day also had higher values than those treated with atorvastatin 10-20mg/day (p=0.016) and pitavastatin 1-4mg/day (p=0.036) or with no statin treatment (p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that there are differences in the diabetogenic effect of statins. Simvastatin and high doses of atorvastatin may be associated with greater impairment in glucose metabolism than pitavastatin and other statins with less lipid-lowering potency such as pravastatin.