Scientists may have found a way to prevent statin muscle pain

Scientists from McMaster University have identified an immune response that may explain why statins cause muscle pain, weakness, and exercise intolerance in some patients. The research, published in Science Advances, shows that statins disrupt how muscle cells generate energy, which activates an immune response within the cells leading to tissue damage. Approximately 7 to 29 percent of statin users experience muscle-related symptoms. In experiments with muscle cells and mouse models, researchers prevented much of the damage by blocking the immune response. Importantly, the mechanism causing muscle side effects appears to be separate from the mechanism that lowers cholesterol, suggesting that future targeted treatments could address side effects without compromising the cardiovascular benefits of statins.