Researchers at McMaster University may have discovered why statins cause muscle pain in 7-29% of users. A study in Science Advances suggests the drugs disrupt muscle cell energy, triggering an internal immune response that causes damage. This pathway appears separate from the cholesterol-lowering effect, offering hope for new treatments that can prevent the side effect without losing the cardiovascular benefits.
Statin muscle pain prevalence
- ▪Millions of people take statins to lower cholesterol and reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke
- ▪An estimated 7% to 29% of statin users experience muscle-related symptoms, including pain and weakness
- ▪Muscle side effects from statins can lead some patients to reduce their dose or stop taking the medication
Immune-metabolism pathway discovery
- ▪The activation of an immune response inside muscle cells, caused by energy disruption, leads to tissue damage
- ▪Researchers at McMaster University have identified a biological pathway that may explain why statins cause muscle symptoms
- ▪A study in Science Advances found that statins can interfere with how muscle cells generate energy, which appears to activate an internal immune response
Separating side effects from benefits
- ▪In experiments on muscle cells and mouse models, researchers prevented much of the muscle damage by blocking the identified immune response
- ▪The separation of mechanisms suggests it may be possible to target side effects without reducing the cardiovascular benefits of statins
- ▪The biological mechanism causing muscle side effects appears to be separate from the mechanism that lowers cholesterol
Future treatment targets
- ▪More research is required before the findings can be developed into treatments for patients
- ▪The newly discovered pathway offers several potential targets for new medications designed to prevent statin intolerance
International research collaboration
- ▪The study was led by first authors Nazli Robin and Nicole Barra of the Schertzer Lab at McMaster University
- ▪The research project involved collaboration between researchers in Canada, France, and Australia
- ▪The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
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