Study: Muscle Symptoms Didn't Differ Between Statin and Placebo Periods

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM

Most patients who stop statins because of muscle symptoms will choose to restart them if given the chance to blindly test them against a placebo, according to an analysis in The BMJ.

Some 200 U.K. patients who were considering stopping a statin or had stopped one in the prior 3 years because of muscle complaints were assigned to three 2-month treatment periods of atorvastatin (20 mg daily) and three 2-month periods of placebo, in randomized order, for 1 year.

Among 150 patients with analyzable data, muscle symptom scores — encompassing pain, weakness, tenderness, stiffness, and cramping — did not differ significantly between atorvastatin and placebo periods. At the end of the trial, patients received graphical summaries of their self-reported data. Nearly 90% said they found the trial helpful, and two thirds said they had already resumed taking statins or intended to do so.

The researchers suggest a similar strategy for individual patients who are intolerant of statins, given the "potential health benefits that are lost by those who stop treatment."