The statins are a group of six prescription medications for high cholesterol that can decrease blood levels of triglycerides and LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. The safety and tolerability profile of these drugs is generally good, but there are certain problems that may arise during treatment. Adverse reactions related to the liver or muscle tissue can occur.
Liver Problems
Patients who take a statin drug for high cholesterol may encounter elevation of liver enzymes. If the elevation is significant, it may necessitate stopping the particular statin causing the problem, explains MayoClinic.com. Irreversible liver damage can result from allowing the liver to continue producing excessive amounts of its enzymes; there are no symptoms associated with the early stages of this damage. For these reasons, doctors recommend that patients have a liver function test about six weeks after they start treatment with a statin drug. Patients should then receive additional tests every 3 to 6 months during the first year of therapy.
Muscle Toxicity
In the August 7, 2002 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology," Dr. Richard C. Pasternak and his colleagues describe the occurrence of myopathy, or muscle disease, as a side effect of statin therapy. In some patients, myopathy takes the form of muscle aches and joint pain that are not accompanied by elevated blood levels of creatine kinase, an enzyme in muscle tissue, released into the blood when muscles are damaged. In rare instances, patients may experience myositis, or muscle aches and weakness accompanied by elevated blood levels of creatine kinase. In these instances, if the patients do not discontinue statin therapy, a very serious condition called rhabdomyolysis may arise. This means that muscle fibers break down and release myoglobin -- a protein contained in muscle cells -- into the bloodstream. When the protein reaches the kidneys, it may cause blockages that lead to severe kidney damage.
Cognition Effects
Some patients report that while taking a statin medication, they experience loss of memory and a decline in their abilities to concentrate. They may also have difficulty expressing themselves and in following the tenor of conversations in which they are involved. Instances of cognitive decline as a side effect of statin therapy have been reported to the FDA. The FDA has studied these cases and concluded that in about 50 percent of them, cognition decline began during the first 60 days of treatment with a statin. For most patients, negative cognition effects disappear when they stop taking the statin drug.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Drug Treatments: Statins
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol: Statin Side Effects: Weigh the Benefits and Risks
- "Journal of the American College of Cardiology;" ACC/AHA/NHLBI Clinical Advisory on the Use and Safety of Statins; Dr. Richard C. Pasternak et. al.; August 2002
- Statinanswers.com: The Major Side Effects of Statin Drugs
- University of California at San Diego: Statin Effects Study: Statin Adverse Effects
