Are Statins Associated With Muscle Symptoms?

A trial has found no overall effect of statins on the frequency or severity of muscle symptoms when compared with placebo in people who had previously reported severe muscle symptoms when taking statins.

The trial is published in the BMJ. After completing the trial, many patients planned to restart treatment with statins.

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‘Statins have no effect on the frequency or severity of muscle symptoms. Stopping statins can increase the risk of serious heart problems.’
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Statins are used by patients to prevent heart disease and stroke and their side effects. Even though there is no clear clinical evidence, many patients believe that statins can cause muscle pain and stiffness.

This led many patients to stop treatment with statins, hence exposing them to an increased risk of serious heart problems.

A team of UK researchers conducted a study to establish the effect of statins on muscle symptoms in people who had previously reported muscle symptoms when taking statins.

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They based their findings on 200 patients having an average age of 69.5 years from 50 general practices in England and Wales who had recently stopped or were considering stopping treatment with statins because of muscle symptoms.

These patients were randomly assigned to a sequence of six, two-month treatment periods during each of which they received either statins or a placebo. Neither the general practitioner, nor the patient knew which tablet they were receiving.

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At least 80 percent of participants said that they took the drug treatment ‘every day’ or ‘most days’ during each period. The participants rated their muscle symptoms like pain, weakness, tenderness, stiffness, or cramp of any intensity, on a 0-10 point scale at the end of the each treatment period.

The researchers at the end of the study did not find any difference in muscle symptom scores between the statin and placebo periods. No differences were found between the statin and placebo periods for the effect of muscle symptoms on aspects of daily life (general activity, mood, ability to walk, normal work, relationships with other people, sleep, and enjoyment of life).

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18 participants withdrew statins because of intolerable muscle symptoms. After completion of the trial two thirds planned to restart long term treatment with statins.

The researchers said that they assessed only the effect of one type of statin on muscle symptoms, and that for some patients, pain scores may have been affected by treatment from the previous period.

They also said that muscle aches and pains are common among the age group taking statins and might occur coincidentally with the use of statins. This leads the patients and clinicians to believe that statins are the reason for their pain.

Source-Medindia