http://www.theheart.org/article/1547459.do?utm_medium=email&utm_source=20130606_heartwire&utm_campaign=newsletter
The use of statins appears to be associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries, including an increased risk of dislocations, strains, and sprains, according to a new analysis [1]. Researchers suggest the full range of musculoskeletal adverse events might not be fully known and that further studies are needed, especially in active individuals.
"These findings are concerning because
starting statin therapy at a young age for primary prevention of
cardiovascular diseases has been widely advocated," report Dr Ishak Mansi (VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas) and colleagues in a paper published online June 3, 2013 in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine.
"Moreover, the numbers needed to be exposed for one additional person
to be harmed were 37 to 58 individuals for various outcomes."
The study included 6967 statin users propensity-matched with 6967 nonusers. Of the statin users, the majority was treated with simvastatin (73.5%) and approximately one-third had been prescribed maximum doses of the drugs, including simvastatin 80 mg, atorvastatin 80 mg, or rosuvastatin
(Crestor, AstraZeneca) 40 mg. Simvastatin 80 mg is currently restricted
on the US market because of concerns about muscle damage.
In the propensity-matched analysis, treatment
with a statin was associated with a 19% increased risk of any type of
musculoskeletal injury (p<0.001), a 13% increased risk of
dislocations, strains, and sprains (p=0.001), and a 9% increased risk of
musculoskeletal pain (p=0.02). There was a trend toward a 7% higher
risk of osteoarthritis/arthropathies, but the association was not
statistically significant in the propensity-matched analysis. There was
an increased risk of osteoarthritis/arthropathies in two analyses that
first adjusted for and then excluded patients with comorbidities at
baseline.
In contrast, researchers observed no
association between the number of years an individual took simvastatin
and the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
The group says that musculoskeletal adverse
events with statins may represent a lesser known side effect of the drug
class and should be studied further, especially in individuals who
continue to be physically active. A better understanding of the full
risks of statins will also "provide more complete data for cost/benefit
and cost-effectiveness analyses of statin use," write Mansi et al.
No comments:
Post a Comment