Statin-Associated Autoimmune Myopathy Is Rare, But It's More Common in Some Populations

Although objective evidence of myopathy usually isn't found in people who develop muscle symptoms while taking statins (NEJM JW Gen Med Oct 15 2022 and Lancet 2022; 400:832), well-documented exceptions occur. Statin-associated autoimmune myopathy is a rare condition that is characterized by unusually severe proximal muscle weakness, myofibril necrosis on muscle biopsy, markedly elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels, and autoantibodies against 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. The condition is rare in the general population (≈2–3 cases/100,000 people) but appears to be more common in some Native American populations.

Investigators identified about 5000 patients at the Gallup Indian Medical Center who had received stati…