RESUMO
To study the effect of Simvastatin therapy on insulin sensitivity in type 2 Diabetes mellitus subjects. This is a randomized case control study, conducted at Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology, Karachi, Pakistan. The study was conducted in 100 type 2 diabetes subjects of both sexes. Patients were randomized into two groups. Fifty patients were given Simvastatin 40mg/day for three months while 50 patients were used as controls. Both groups had similar anthropometric [age, duration of diabetes, BMI and Blood pressure] and biochemical [serum creatinine, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin level and lipid profile] characteristics. Insulin resistance was assessed by calculating homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] before and after 3 months of simvastatin treatment [40mg/day]. Simvastatin [40mg/day] markedly decreased cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels but did not significantly affect insulin sensitivity as determined by HOMA-IR. However it improved insulin sensitivity in subjects having insulin resistance.[HOMA IR reduction 1.92; p=0.001] Short term simvastatin therapy [3 months] had no effect on insulin sensitivity, but had a significant lipid lowering effect in all the subjects