Cholesterol-lowering drugs are very popular in the United States. Research shows that more than 25% of adults of the age of 40 take statin drugs! Even the American Council of Science and Health is concerned as to the number of American adults taking statin drugs.
Suppose you are one of those people whose doctor has convinced you to be on a statin drug, or you are in a high cardiovascular risk group where a statin is indicated. In that case, you should be aware of the research demonstrating that up to 29% of users experience the side effect of myopathy (muscle pain or damage). About 10% of statin users discontinue the drug due to side effects, with the most common myopathy. Although rare, a severe condition from statin use can occur. It is known as rhabdomyolysis and occurs when muscle tissue is destroyed, and the afflicted person experiences muscle pain, muscle weakness, and brown urine.
If you are experiencing muscle discomfort, your doctor may measure an enzyme in your muscles known as CPK; if elevated, it confirms your muscles are being damaged by your statin drug. However, this test should not be relied upon to determine if your muscle pain is coming from your statin.
The Canadian Medical Association Journal reported on a study where thigh muscle biopsies were obtained as well as blood creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels from patients with clinically diagnosed statin-associated myopathy. Also included in the study were people taking statins who had no myopathy and people who had never taken statins and had no myopathy. What the researchers discovered was both astounding and scary. They found significant muscle injury was observed in 25 out of 44 people with myopathy! They also reported that only one patient with muscle damage based on the biopsy testing had an elevated CPK level. In other words, the biopsy showed muscle damage (a more precise test than a blood test), but the CPK test was next to useless in identifying the muscle damage! So, according to this test, if one starts on a statin drug, experiences muscle pain, and their doctor measures their blood CPK level (since muscle biopsies are not routinely performed), you could well be told your statin drug has nothing to do with your muscle pain! The researchers also found evidence of significant muscle damage in people who had formerly used statin therapy and had been off statins for a substantial amount of time. And as expected, there was no significant muscle damage for those not taking statins.
Why not use technology to predict whether you are not genetically compatible with statin drugs? The use of gene-drug testing can identify someone with a likelihood of having muscle damage from a statin drug. The primary gene tested for myopathy is SLCO1B1*5. Your doctor can test this with a blood or cheek swab test. In a randomized study, 25% of trial participants were SLCO1B1*5 carriers.
There are many options, including holistic and pharmaceutical, that can be used as options to statin drugs, especially if your genes are not compatible with statins.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD, MS, is a bestselling author in private practice in Encinitas, California, at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine. His newsletter, Dr. Stengler’s Health Breakthroughs, is available at www.markstengler.com and his product line at www.drstengler.com
Bezerow A. 2019. Are Doctors Overprescribing Statins?. American Council on Science and Health. https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/07/18/are-doctors-overprescribing-statins-13208
Mohaupt M, Karas R, Babiychuk E, Sanchez-Freire V, Monastyrskaya K, Iyer L, Hoppeler H, Breil F, Draeger A. 2009. Association between statin-associated myopathy and skeletal muscle damage. Canadian Medical Association Journal 181:E11-E18. [accessed 2019 Jul 1]
Newman C, Preiss D, Tobert J, Jacobson T, Page R, Goldstein L, Chin C, Tannock L, Miller M, Raghuveer G et al. 2019. Statin Safety and Associated Adverse Events: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 39
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Tuteja S, Rader D. 2018. SLCO1B1 and Statin Therapy. Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine 11. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCGEN.118.002320
