Statins do not commonly cause muscle pain and stiffness.

Helen Saul ; Deniz Gursul ; Samantha Cassidy ; Liam Smeeth ORCID logo ; Alexander Perkins ORCID logo ; (2021) Statins do not commonly cause muscle pain and stiffness. BMJ (Clinical research ed), 375. n3060. ISSN 0959-8138 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n3060 (In Press)
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The study: Herrett E, Williamson E, Brack K, et al. The effect of statins on muscle symptoms in primary care: the StatinWISE series of 200 N-of-1 RCTs. Health Technol Assess 2021;25:16.

To read the full NIHR Alert, go to: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/statins-not-likely-to-cause-muscle-pain-stiffness/.

Why was the study needed?: A high level of cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and is linked with one in four deaths from cardiovascular disease in the UK. The British Heart Foundation estimates that up to eight million people in the UK are prescribed statins to reduce their levels of cholesterol.

Strong evidence suggests that statins safely reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Side effects are rare. However, the rare link with severe muscle pain has been well publicised. Some people with mild symptoms stop taking statins after reading negative stories in the media.

Concern about muscle pain is one of the most common reasons for people not taking statins. Before this study, little research was available on whether statins commonly cause mild muscle symptoms. These symptoms include stiffness, pain, cramp, and weakness, and are often reported by patients.

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