If you take a statin drug to lower your cholesterol, there is a chance you might be depleting your vitamin D levels. Some experts think that production of vitamin D, which is made from cholesterol, might be impaired when cholesterol levels are lowered, in some people. Studies that have investigated the relationship between statins and vitamin D have produced mixed results.
Variable Effects
Statin drugs have variable effects on vitamin D levels, according to a study published in the March 2010 issue of the journal "Cardiovascular Therapeutics." The study looked at the effects of rosuvastatin and fluvastatin, two statin drugs, on vitamin D metabolism in 134 patients with elevated cholesterol who had not been on statin drugs. Participants took either 10 mg of rosuvastatin or 80 mg of fluvastatin per day for eight weeks. Rosuvastatin was significantly more effective at lowering cholesterol and also caused a significant increase in vitamin D levels. Fluvastatin had no effect on vitamin D levels, in this study.
Statin Effectiveness
Vitamin D may be the critical factor that makes statin drugs work, according to a study published in the July 2010 issue of the "Southern Medical Journal." The study was a case report describing that cholesterol levels in one patient were unresponsive to a powerful statin drug and only reverted to normal levels after vitamin D supplementation.
Increased Vitamin D levels
The drug atorvastatin was found to cause increased vitamin D levels in a study published in the November 2010 issue of the journal "Clinical Chemistry." In the study, women with polycystic ovary syndrome took 20 mg of atorvastatin daily for three months. A significant increase in vitamin D levels was observed in the group that took atorvastatin compared to a control group that showed no significant changes in vitamin D levels. The researchers concluded that the elevation of vitamin D levels observed in their study may indicate a beneficial side effect of these drugs and a shared metabolic pathway between cholesterol and vitamin D metabolism.
Muscle Pain
The journal "Atherosclerosis" published a report in its March 2011 issue that found an association between vitamin D deficiency and muscle pain in patients on statin drugs. In the study -- a review of previously published research -- the authors found that some statin drugs may increase vitamin D levels, while others do not. The researchers concluded that, though some studies show vitamin D supplementation improves statin-associated muscle pain in some people, there is not enough information on the relationship between statin drugs, muscle pain side effects and vitamin D to recommend vitamin D supplementation.
References
- "Cardiovascular Therapeutics"; STATIN-D Study: Comparison of the Influences of Rosuvastatin and Fluvastatin Treatment on the Levels of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D. Ertugrul DT; et al.; March 2010
- "Southern Medical Journal"; Resolution of Statin Induced Myalgias by Correcting Vitamin D Deficiency. Bell DS; et al.; July 2010
- "Clinical Chemistry"; Atorvastatin Increases 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D Concentrations in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Sathyapalan T; et al.; November2010
- "Atherosclerosis"; The Relationship of Vitamin D Deficiency to Statin Myopathy; Gupta A; March 2011
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