Pharmaco-economic impact of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in type 2 diabetes

Dyslipidemia is very common in diabetics and substantially increases the ri sk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease. Pharmacological therapy w ith 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (' statins') is effective for dyslipidemia, but the cost and efficacy of indiv idual therapies vary. Therefore, the interest in cost-effective pharmacolog ic interventions for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events in dia betics has increased. In this article, the literature pertaining to the epi demiology, cost and efficacy of statins in preventing cardiovascular diseas e in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, in both the primary and second ary prevention settings, is reviewed. Cost-effectiveness studies of statins in the diabetic population are detailed, along with recommendations for fu rther research. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.