Question

It has been demonstrated that some people treated with statins show an increased accumulation of lipids in the liver and skeletal muscles, as well as a mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscles. Explain why statin treatment results in lipid accumulation in the liver and in the skeletal muscles

Answer 1

Doctors often prescribe statins for people with high cholesterol to lower their total cholesterol and reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke. While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain.

Statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol XL), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor) and simvastatin (Zocor, FloLipid).

All statin drugs have been shown to elevate liver enzymes to some degree. When liver enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), are too high, they indicate injury to liver cells. Although there have been reports of liver failure and hepatitis associated with statins and elevated liver enzymes, these occurrences are relatively rare.

Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins. Rhabdomyolysis can occur when take statins in combination with certain drugs or if you take a high dose of statins.