OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of statin use in older adults with new onset diabetes (T2DM), frequently presenting with co-morbidities and susceptible to poor outcomes, has not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to examine and characterize the prevalence of statin use among Medicare patients newly diagnosed with diabetes, and to assess statins use gaps by age, gender, and race/ethnicity as well as those with and without underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study using pharmacy and medical claims from CMS. Enrollees with a new T2DM diagnosis (index date) in 2008, aged 65 years or older, continuously enrolled in Medicare Part A, B, and D, and who survived at least 90 days after the index date were included. The prevalence of statin use within 90 days of index date across age, gender, race/ethnicity, and baseline CVD status was assessed. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to investigate the effects of the independent variables.  RESULTS: An average statin usage rate of 46.3% was found in the 168,800 eligible patients included in the study. 66,525 patients in the cohort had underlying co-morbid CVD and were more likely to receive statins than those without baseline CVD both before (OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.58-1.67) and after (OR=1.23, 95% CI 1.17-1.28) adjusting for baseline treatment including statin medications, post- diagnosis. Significant disparities in statin use were found in gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Males were more likely than females to receive statins. Asians also higher statin usage compared to Caucasians, and those aged 65-74 were more likely use treatment compared to patients older than 75. CONCLUSIONS: Statin treatment usage patterns vary significantly among newly diagnosed older adults with new onset diabetes.