Up to 75 per cent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain.

Up to 75 per cent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain. Scientists at the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen have now identified a possible mechanism underlying this unfortunate side effect. The results have just been published in the well-reputed Journal of American College of Cardiology.

"A well-known side effect of statin therapy is muscle pain. Up to 75 per cent of the physically active patients undergoing treatment for high cholesterol experience pain. This may keep people away from either taking their medicine or from taking exercise - both of which are bad choices," says Professor Flemming Dela from the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen. He continues: 

"We have now shown that statin treatment affects the energy production in muscles. We are working on the assumption that this can be the direct cause of muscle weakness and pain in the patients." 

About 40 per cent of the patients being treated with statins in Denmark are in so-called 'mono therapy' and thus are prescribed only this one drug. Presumably these are people who 'only' have high cholesterol and no other risk factors that could influence heart health: 

"The effect of statins is marginal for these patients - in a previous published Cochrane analysis only 0.5% reduction in all-cause mortality was detected, indicating that for every 200 patients taking statins daily for five years, one death would be prevented. This patient group is obviously interesting in light of the side effects of statin therapy," comments Professor Flemming Dela. 

More here.