The Cholesterol Medication That Could Raise Your Blood Sugar

While it's understandable for anyone to want to lower high cholesterol without relying on medication, managing elevated cholesterol levels with food and lifestyle changes may not always be the best option. In that case, your doctor may recommend that you take rosuvastatin (Crestor). However, if you take rosuvastatin, you should be aware of all the possible side effects, including a rise in your blood sugar levels.

Statins like rosuvastatin may help your body raise your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol, decrease your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol, lower your triglycerides, and provide assistance to the liver. Rosuvastatin performs all those functions. 

However, some statins may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, as they can potentially interfere with the body's ability to process sugar effectively and efficiently. If you take rosuvastatin, it may impair the way your cells process insulin, which can result in an increase in your blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes, which is irreversible, isn't just an isolated medical condition. It can have systemic repercussions, such as exacerbating elevated cholesterol levels by causing an abnormally high number of lipids to form within the bloodstream. As such, you could both have trouble with your blood sugar because of rosuvastatin as well as raise your risk of heart disease due to higher cholesterol (which, incidentally, is what you're trying to avoid by taking rosuvastatin).

This doesn't mean you'll automatically experience higher blood sugar levels if you take rosuvastatin, though. The risk is present, but it doesn't happen to everyone. Still, it's something to consider because the statin-blood sugar connection has been clinically observed. For instance, per a 2023 review in Frontiers in Endocrinology, at least one meta-analysis found that statin use could raise the chance of type 2 diabetes by 9%, while another noted a 12% increase. Among those who had existing type 2 diabetes, their use of rosuvastatin raised their blood sugar levels appreciably.

If you and your doctor decide that rosuvastatin makes sense for your situation regardless of the chance that you may see an increase in your blood sugar readings, you may be asked to watch out for the known signs of elevated blood sugar. That way, you can get a consultation immediately if you are concerned about any possible symptoms. Common indicators of increased blood sugar include feeling hungrier and thirstier than normal, losing weight without trying, feeling tired, noticing that your vision is blurry, and having to urinate often.

(Read about what it feels like when your blood sugar is high.)

Fortunately, there are other statins that are statistically less likely to raise your blood sugar if rosuvastatin simply doesn't work for you. A 2023 review in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine compared the blood-sugar-raising properties of popular statins. Three statins that had lower incidences of causing elevated blood sugar included lovastatin, fluvastatin, and pravastatin (though you should talk to a doctor first before exploring your options).