A new study has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs commonly prescribed to kidney transplant recipients, are generally well tolerated but may increase the risks of certain adverse events. Researchers compared the effects of statin use and nonuse among over 57,000 kidney transplant recipients on Medicare and found that statin users had a higher incidence of post-transplant diabetes mellitus, cataracts, hemorrhagic stroke, and rhabdomyolysis compared to nonusers. However, statin users had a lower risk of liver injury. Statin use was significantly associated with a 12% higher risk of post-transplant diabetes mellitus, a 22% higher risk of cataracts, and a 37% higher risk of rhabdomyolysis. On the other hand, statin use was associated with an 18% lower risk of liver injury. The study suggests that while statins are generally well tolerated in kidney transplant recipients, caution should be exercised in recipients with a high risk of diabetes.

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