Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Statin-related Myopathy | |
|
| |
It is well known that statins cause myopathy as a side effect. A detailed article on this
topic was recently published in the US
Pharmacist, a brief summary of which is presented below:
Statins are drugs like simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and atorvastatin that are used to reduce bad or LDL-cholesterol levels.
Statins cause myopathy or a disease of the muscles as a side effect in up to 10% patients receiving the drugs. Myopathy is seen more commonly with higher doses of statins. People at an increased risk for myopathy include those with prior history of muscle pain with cholesterol-lowering drugs, unexplained cramps or an increase in creatine kinase levels (creatine kinase is an enzyme released in the blood when a muscle is damaged). Drugs like simvastatin and atorvastatin are more likely to cause myopathy. These drugs when combined with other cholesterol-lowering drugs like gemfibrosil may result in an earlier onset of the side effect.
Other risk factors for developing myopathy with statins include female sex, older age group, low body mass index, other health issues like diabetes, hypertension, untreated hypothyroidism, kidney and liver disease. In addition, alcohol, cocaine use, increased exercise, and a diet rich in grapefruit juice are also associated with myopathy. Other drugs like cyclosporine and fluconazole that could interfere with the metabolism or breakdown of statins in the blood could also increase the chances of myopathy with statins.
The exact reason why myopathy occurs with statins is not known, though some theories have been proposed. Symptoms of statin-induced myopathy include fatigue, flulike symptoms, muscle cramps at night, weight loss, an increase in heart rate, nausea, and brown urine.
How does one identify who is at likely risk for developing myopathy with statins? One way is to measure a baseline creatine kinase level in all patients before starting treatment with statins. Some recommend that this test should be done only in people at high risk for myopathy. Once treatment is started, routine testing for myopathy is not recommended. Tests for creatine kinase are advised only if the patient develops muscle symptoms. Treatment should be discontinued in instances where creatine kinase levels rise to more than 10 times the upper limit of normal, or those who develop intolerable muscle symptoms.
Patients should be made aware of this complication before treatment with statins is started and should be asked to report in case of any symptoms.
Most patients recover after the drug is stopped. Some cases with severe muscle damage may land up with kidney failure and may require hospitalization and IV fluids.
Once the patient has recovered from the myopathy, how should the high cholesterol levels be controlled? Some of the options suggested are, use a lower dose of the same statin with another drug if necessary; use another statin; or use a drug belonging to an altogether different class.
Reference:
1. Statin-Associated Myopathy; Jennifer Shannon et al; US Pharmacist 2012.
Source-Medindia
| |
|
|
 Comment & Contribute
|
Related Links
Cholesterol - The Enigma Chemical - Myths - Diet - Functions
The word 'Cholesterol' rings danger bells as soon as it is mentioned. This important chemical is important for the normal metabolism of the body and ...
Statin Therapy Lowers Abnormal Blood Clotting Besides Lowering Cholesterol
High cholesterol can lead to heart attack and stroke because atherosclerotic plaques within arteries can rupture triggering the formation of a blood ...
Health In Focus News
Some Myths and Realities About Your Body
Be it from a word-of-mouth, or a newspaper article, unreliable and mis-interpreted facts always keep us in the dark. To shed some light, we've ...
Liver can be Damaged by Cinnamon
A compound called coumarin present in cinnamon is toxic to the liver even in small amounts, shows study. Cinnamon is a spice ...
Glutamate Responsible for Insomnia Associated With Restless Leg Syndrome: Hopkins Study
The neurotransmitter glutamate may play an important role in sleep loss in patients with restless leg syndrome, according to a study ...
Secondhand Smoke Destroys Good Cholesterol in Teen Girls
Teenage girls may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of secondhand smoke when compared to boys of the same age, shows study. ...
Benefits of a Deep Breath
On an average, an individual breathes around 17,280-23,040 times a day, without giving it a second thought. When we breathe, we take ...
Fish Oil Supplements May Not Prevent Blindness: NIH Study
One of leading cause of blindness in developed world is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a common eye condition among older adults ...
- Health News Index
- News Quick Links
| News Categories: |
| » | Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate Revealed |
| » | Meat Grown from Animal Cells in the Laboratory |
| » | Study Shows Why Ripe Strawberries Smell So Distinctive |
| » | Fish Oil may Reduce Effects of Junk Food on Brain |
| » | Consuming Small Breakfast Conducive to Weight Loss |
| More Diet News | |
|
Ask an Expert
