Hyperlipidemia is a medical term used to describe high blood levels of cholesterol and another blood-borne fat, or lipid, called triglyceride. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in your body used for energy production. Consumption of supplemental creatine will not cause hyperlipidemia. However, use of certain hyperlipidemia medications, called statins, can trigger a form of muscle damage that your doctor may be able to detect by measuring your blood levels of a substance called creatine kinase.
Creatine and Creatine Kinase
Your body cannot use creatine directly. Instead, it must first be broken down into a substance called creatine phosphate, or phosphocreatine. Once your body makes creatine phosphate in your muscle tissue, it combines with adenosine diphosphate, or ADP, and converts into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the primary source of cellular energy. Creatine kinase is a specialized type of protein, or enzyme, that makes the combination of creatine phosphate and ADP possible.
Hyperlipidemia and Statins
Your doctor may make a hyperlipidemia diagnosis if your blood levels of harmful LDL cholesterol are above 130 mg/dL, if your combined blood levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol are over 200 mg/dL, or if your blood levels of triglyceride are above 150 mg/dL. Potential causes or contributing factors of this condition include consumption of a high-fat diet, excess body weight, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, an underactive thyroid gland, diabetes, pregnancy and use of certain medications. Statin medications --- including lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin --- have the potential to help ease hyperlipidemia by blocking your body's ability to make cholesterol.
Detecting Statin Myopathy
One possible consequence of statin use is the onset of a form of muscle pain and tenderness called statin myopathy, MayoClinic.com reports. In extreme cases, statin use can also trigger a breakdown of muscle tissue called rhabdomyolysis, which is characterized by a release of muscle proteins that can damage your kidneys. The symptoms of statin myopathy are potentially triggered by abnormally high levels of creatine kinase in your bloodstream, according to Lab Tests Online. If your doctor suspects that you have statin myopathy, he may be able to diagnose your condition by testing your creatine kinase blood levels.
Considerations
Many statin users who have elevated blood levels of creatine kinase do not have any symptoms of statin myopathy, according to a study published in 2009 in "Metabolism." In some circumstances, the presence of high creatine kinase levels in asymptomatic patients encourages doctors to stop prescribing statins. The authors of the study note, however, that this approach can diminish effective treatment of high cholesterol without a clear medical rationale. They recommend that people with high creatine kinase levels but no statin myopathy symptoms continue to receive statin treatment. Consult your doctor for more information on hyperlipidemia and the relationship between your creatine kinase levels, statin use and statin myopathy.
References
- VascularWeb: Hyperlipidemia
- PubMed Health: High Blood Cholesterol Levels
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Creatine
- Lab Tests Online: CK - The Test
- "Metabolism"; Should High Creatine Kinase Discourage the Initiation or Continuance of Statins for the Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia? Charles Glueck, et al.; 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Statins: Are These Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Right for You?; February 2010
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