Joyce,

Thanks for your posted question.  Zocor does not affect a patient's diabetic status (sugar levels).  Statin medication, like zocor, is often prescribed for patients with diabetes, even if their cholesterol levels are not very high.  This is because diabetes is a significant risk factor for developing heart and vascular disease, and doctors are now very aggressive in trying to prevent these problems before they become symptomatic.  In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, there is evidence that statin medications help reduce the inflammatory reaction associated with atherosclerosis (the build up of cholesterol plaques within blood vessels) which may be another reason there is a lower incidence of heart disease in patients taking this type of medication.  

I hope this information has been helpful.

Martin Cane, M.D.