A new side effect seems to be emerging for those cholesterol-lowering wonder drugs called statins: They may increase some people’s chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.

A study published Monday adds to the evidence, finding a modest risk among older women who used a variety of statins.

It’s a puzzling link, and specialists say people who most need statins because of a high risk for a heart attack should stick with the drugs.

“What I fear here is that people who need and will benefit from statins will be scared off of using the drugs because of reports like this,” says Dr. Steven Nissen, cardiology chairman at the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved with the research. “We don’t want these drugs in the water supply, but we want the right people treated. When they are, this effect is not a significant limitation.”

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