While there is no evidence to show that statin medications cause a lower vitamin D level, researchers have found a connection between statins and vitamin D deficiency. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of Americans have high cholesterol, and many are prescribed a statin medication to lower their cholesterol levels. At the same time, a March 2009 report in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" suggests that 77 percent of Americans may not be getting sufficient vitamin D. Researchers have looked at the connection between vitamin D deficiency and statins and have actually found that some statins can increase vitamin D levels. They've also found a connection between vitamin D deficiency and statin side effects.
Statins
Statins are drugs designed to lower your serum cholesterol. They work by blocking a substance in your body that is necessary to make cholesterol and that helps to prevent blockage in the blood vessels. Popular statin medications include Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and Pravachol. Side effects from statins can include diarrhea, constipation, gas, headache and joint pain. One side effect of statins that is connected to vitamin D deficiency is myopathy, or muscle weakness and cramps. This symptom is often the cause of patients stopping their statin therapy.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient essential for bone and muscle health. Your body can make it through direct exposure of your skin to the ultraviolet B rays from the sun. You can also consume it in fortified milk and oily fish such as salmon. Deficiencies in vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia, which causes a softening of the bones, bone pain and muscle weakness. Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and some cancers.
Medical Research
A study published in "Cardiovascular Therapeutics" in March 2010 looked at two statins, rosuvastatin and fluvastatin, and their effects on serum vitamin D levels. They discovered that treatment with rosuvastatin actually increased serum vitamin D levels, while there was no change in levels when participants took fluvastatin. Vitamin D supplementation has shown to be beneficial in the reversal of statin-induced myopathy; however, a review published in March 2011 in "Atherosclerosis" concluded that it was too soon to advise patients taken statins to supplement with vitamin D to reduce statin-related muscle problems unless the patients already had low vitamin D levels.
Considerations
If your physician has prescribed a statin medication, talk with him about having your vitamin D levels tested. This is especially true if you experience myopathy as a side effect of your statin use. If your results show that you are vitamin D-deficient, your physician can treat the deficiency and then place you on a regular supplementation plan to reduce the risk of becoming deficient again. Because vitamin D also plays a role in calcium regulation, have your doctors test your calcium levels as well.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Frequently Asked Questions About High Blood Cholesterol; February 2010
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Demographic Differences and Trends of Vitamin D Insufficiency in the US Population, 1988-2004; Adit A. Ginde, M.D., et al.; March 2009
- MayoClinic.com; High Cholesterol; February 2010
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: NINDS Myopathy Information Page
- "Cardiovascular Therapeutics"; STATIN-D Study: Comparison of the Influences of Rosuvastatin and Fluvastatin Treatment on the Levels of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D; D.T. Ertugrul, et al.; March 2010
- "Atherosclerosis"; The Relationship of Vitamin D Deficiency to Statin Myopathy; A. Gupta, et al.; March 2011
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