Zocor, or simvastatin, is in a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. Drugs.com states Zocor is an effective drug in lowering the risk of a heart attack and drug by decreasing LDL-the type of cholesterol responsible for increased risk of cardiovascular disease and increasing HDL, the protective type of cholesterol. The most common Zocor-related side effects are upper respiratory infections, headache, abdominal pain, constipation and nausea. The most feared side effect is myopathy, destruction of muscles; however, Zocor, like any statin, has affects on the liver as well.
Elevated Liver Function Tests
Liver function tests, notably the hepatic transaminases, are blood tests that assess liver function. Elevated liver function tests may be indicative of liver disease. Drugs.com states an elevation in hepatic transaminases occurs overall in about one percent of patients taking Zocor, with the greatest incidence occurring with the higher doses of the drug. Liver function tests usually return to normal after discontinuation of Zocor.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis, by definition, is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to severe liver damage. Because elevated liver functions tests are seen with the use of Zocor, as with all statins, hepatitis is listed as a possible adverse side effect. There is little evidence, however, to support an association between Zocor-induced elevation in liver function tests and hepatitis. The MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group reported in a November 2009 article published in "BMC Clinical Pharmacology," that in a large randomized trial involving more than 20,000 patients taking Zocor, there was no evidence that simvastatin caused serious liver disease, including hepatitis. Nevertheless, Zocor should be used with great caution, if at all, in patients with underlying liver disease or in people who consume large amounts of alcohol.
Gallstones
Typical risk factors for gallstone formation include increased age, female gender, obesity and the use of estrogen-containing medications. Cholesterol-lowering medications, including simvastatin, are sometimes reported as a risk factor for gallstone formation. In a November 2009 article, published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," Bodner and colleagues report no link between long-term Simvastatin use and gallstones. Most gallstones are made up of cholesterol and statin drugs actually decrease the amount of cholesterol available for gallstone formation.
References
- Drugs.com: Zocor
- PDRhealth: Zocor
- "BMC Clinical Pharmacology"; Effects of Simvastatin 40 mg Daily on Muscle and Liver Adverse Effects; MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group; March 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Gallstones: Risk Factors
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Statin Use and Risk of Gallstone Disease Followed by Cholecystectomy; M. Bodner et. al.; November 2009
