Pitavastatin improves glycated hemoglobin in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

AIMS/INTRODUCTION To investigate the effect of pitavastatin on glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medical records of 340 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with pitavastatin or atorvastatin between 1 August 2013 and 31 May 2014 were reviewed. A total of 96 patients who had not received statins were treated with pitavastatin (N to P group). A total of 100 patients who had previously used atorvastatin were switched to pitavastatin (A to P group). A total of 144 patients continued with atorvastatin treatment. Data were collected at baseline, 3 and 6 months of treatment. Changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level were analyzed in 222 patients who did not change their antidiabetic agent during 6 months of treatment. RESULTS A negative correlation between baseline HbA1c and delta HbA1c at 6 months was found in the pitavastatin-treated patients (N to P group: ρ = -0.329, P = 0.006; A to P group: ρ = -0.480, P < 0.001). The correlation remained similar after adjusting for age, body mass index, dose of pitavastatin, estimated glomerular filtration rate and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. After 6 months of treatment, the benefit of pitavastatin on HbA1c in the patients with poorly controlled diabetes was significant in both the N to P (8.1 vs 7.4%, P = 0.018) and A to P (9.7 vs 9.0%, P = 0.015) groups. CONCLUSIONS Pitavastatin decreases HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes with a higher baseline HbA1c level. The benefit on HbA1c was also observed in patients with previous use of atorvastatin.