Alabama Lipitor Lawsuit Attorneys
Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys are currently providing free consultations and conducting case-reviews for women who have taken Lipitor for their cholesterol. Are you one of the many older women who has used the prescription drug Lipitor? Lipitor is the brand-name for atorvastatin, a drug used to treat or prevent cardiovascular disease, primarily by lowering blood cholesterol. It is part of the broader class of drugs known as statins, which are mostly used for the control of cholesterol and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. All statins, including Lipitor, function by controlling the action of a certain enzyme in the liver which plays a role in the production of cholesterol.
History of Lipitor
First synthesized in 1985 and approved by the FDA in 1996, as of 2012 Lipitor was the all-time most profitable prescription drug, with sales of over $130 billion for its producer, Pfizer. However, a number of studies have shown serious risks associated with its use. These include a major increase in the risk of type-2 diabetes in aging women, a risk that has brought on the need for Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys. The risks of Lipitor are finally moving into the public eye, and if you believe that you or a loved one is suffering from diabetes due to Lipitor, Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys affiliated with Attorney Group for Alabama may be able to help you with your case.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious disease often associated with the obesity epidemic in the United States. However, as the new research on Lipitor indicates, it may sometimes have other causes. Type-2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder marked by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency and high blood glucose levels. It can result shorten life expectancy by up to 10 years, and sufferers often face major complications. These include a very high rate of limb amputations, cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Frequent infections and hospitalizations are common for patients with this disease, which is primarily managed through lifestyle alterations, insulin monitoring and medications.
Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys know that the primary study to link Lipitor therapy with type-2 diabetes in aging and post-menopausal women was conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and its findings have caused tremendous concern among medical professionals. The study, published in 2011, followed 153,840 post-menopausal women for seven years on average. The women had an average age of 63. At the beginning of the study’s seven-year period, none of the women had diabetes. However, by the study’s end, 10,242 of the women now reported that their doctors had diagnosed them with diabetes. The doctors conducting the study took into account the women’s ages, obesity, physical activity levels, and a number of other risk-factors for developing diabetes. Nonetheless, their analysis still showed that post-menopausal women who took Lipitor were almost 50% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than their counterparts who did not take the drug. Naturally, such an elevated level of risk caught the researchers’ attention. While they do not encourage any patients to abruptly stop taking Lipitor without consulting their physicians, they believe that these results demand that the use of Lipitor by post-menopausal women be carefully reconsidered.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that doctors have suspected that statin drugs, and Lipitor in particular, may have the potential to cause harm. A summary of earlier studies, published in 2010, found a 9% increased risk for diabetes in statin users, and a similar study in 2011 also found evidence of the same kind. Beyond diabetes, statins are also suspected to cause memory loss, confusion, muscle damage, sexual dysfunction, depression, neuropathy, sleep problems, and other side effects. Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys can help those eligible to seek redress for the injuries inflicted upon them.
However, if you are already suffering from the serious effects of type-2 diabetes brought on by Lipitor, these warnings may come too late. The severity of this disease and the widespread use of Lipitor means that all older women who worry that they may be at risk for diabetes should consult their physicians about the use of statin drugs like Lipitor. If you feel that you may already have been harmed by Lipitor, it may be necessary to consult with Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys and seek redress for your suffering.
You Have Options
Clearly, despite its usefulness for treating cardiovascular disease, this drug can inflict serious side effects and may cause life-altering harm to post-menopausal women. If you are an aging woman and you believe that your use of Lipitor has caused you to develop type-2 diabetes, you have options. Besides medical treatment for diabetes and its complications, you should consider seeking legal counsel, and women in Alabama should turn to Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys, such as those affiliated with Attorney Group for Alabama. A competent injury attorney will inform you of your rights and the possibilities for you to seek compensation for the harm caused to you by this medication, in this state and elsewhere. Please do not hesitate to contact our Alabama Lipitor lawsuit attorneys, who are available to evaluate your case and inform you of any legal remedies that may be available to you.
