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Although statins generally are well tolerated, many clinicians believe that, in practice, statin-related side effects occur more commonly than was reported in randomized trials. Muscle symptoms, the most well-known statin side effect, can occur without elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels. Indeed, one study demonstrated reversible pathologic abnormalities on muscle biopsies in patients with normal CK levels who developed muscle pain or weakness while taking statins (JW Nov 1 2002). Recently, researchers identified a common variant of a gene on chromosome 12 that predisposes patients to statin myopathy.1
Determining whether a statin user’s myalgias are related to the drug often is difficult. Thus, we would benefit by knowing whether statin us…