Statins increase the risk of muscle pain by 90%

This study was published in Circulation 2012 Nov 26

 

Study title and authors:

The Effect of Statins on Skeletal Muscle Function.

Parker BA, Capizzi JA, Grimaldi AS, Clarkson PM, Cole SM, Keadle J, Chipkin S, Pescatello LS, Simpson K, White CM, Thompson PD.

1 Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT;

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23183941

This study assessed the effects of statins on muscle function. The study included 420 healthy subjects, who had never previously taken statins, who received either 80 mg of atorvastatin or placebo for six months.

The study found:
(a) The creatine kinase levels of those who received statins increased by 20.8 U/L. (The appearance of creatine kinase in blood has been generally considered to be an indirect marker of muscle damage).
(b) Those who received statins had a 90% increased risk of muscle pain compared to those who received placebo.

The results of this trial show that statins increase the risk of muscle injury.