TouchREVIEWS in Endocrinology · Jan 1, 2022

Statin-related Muscle Toxicity: An Evidence-based Review

By Jeeyavudeen MS, Pappachan JM, Arunagirinathan G

The efficacy of statins in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease has been proven beyond doubt. The number needed to treat to prevent one cardiovascular event is 1 in 30 over 10 years, and the number needed to treat for secondary prevention is much lower. However, a recent study demonstrated that only 68% of eligible patients are on statin therapy. Moreover, there seems to be a reluctance to escalate statin doses due to the fear of adverse effects. The adverse effects that worries patients and their physicians most frequently are those related to muscular symptoms. N-of-1 trial evidence suggests that muscular symptoms attributed to statins are often caused by the nocebo effect. This article aims to provide a structured, evidence-based approach to suspected statin-related muscle toxicity.

doi.org/10.17925/ee.2022.18.2.89 Open access PubMed 36694885 Interventions