Effect of simvastatin use on bone mineral density in women with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To attempt to clarify the effect of simvastatin, a widely used statin, on the bone mineral density in women with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, controlled study of 37 women with type 2 diabetes who were taking simvastatin. Each woman was matched with 2 control subjects who were closest in age, years since menopause (if applicable), and duration of diabetes on the date on which the examination was performed. We measured bone mineral density at the spine and the hip with a dual-energy xray absorptiometry scanner and compared bone density in the 2 study groups.
Results: The mean bone mineral density values of patients in the simvastatin group were found to be slightly increased in comparison with those of the control group, both in the lumbar vertebrae and in the femoral neck, but these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05).
Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study, we could not demonstrate a positive effect of long-term simvastatin treatment on bone mineral density in women with type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.