Vitamin D deficiency, myositis-myalgia, and reversible statin intolerance.
Curr Med Res Opin. 2011 Jul 6.
Glueck CJ, Budhani SB, Masineni SS, Abuchaibe C, Khan N, Wang P, Goldenberg N.
Cholesterol Center, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, OH , USA.
Abstract Objective: In 150 hypercholesterolemic patients, unable to tolerate ?1 statin because of myositis-myalgia, selected by low (<32?ng/ml) serum 25 (OH) vitamin D, we prospectively assessed whether vitamin D supplementation with resolution of vitamin D deficiency would result in statin tolerance, free of myositis-myalgia.
Research design and methods: We studied 74 men, 76 women, median age 60, 131 white, 17 black and 2 other. On no statins, 50,000 units of vitamin D was given twice a week for 3 weeks, and then continued once a week. After 3 weeks on vitamin D, statins were restarted. Patients were re-assessed on statins and vitamin D every 3 to 4 months, with serial measures of serum 25 (OH) vitamin D, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), LDL cholesterol (LDLC) and assessment of myositis-myalgia.
Main outcome measures: Percentage of patients myalgia-free on vitamin D plus reinstituted statins, serum 25 (OH) vitamin D, CPK, and LDLC on reinstituted statins and concurrent vitamin D supplementation.
Results: On vitamin D supplementation plus re-instituted statins for a median of 8.1 months, 131 of the 150 patients (87%) were free of myositis-myalgia and tolerated the statins well. Serum 25 (OH) vitamin D increased from median 21 to 40?ng/ml (p?<?0.001), and normalized (?32?ng/ml) in 117 (78%) of 150 previously vitamin D deficient, statin-intolerant patients. Median LDLC decreased from 146?mg/dl to 95?mg/dl, p?<?0.001.
Conclusion: Symptomatic myositis-myalgia in hypercholesterolemic statin-treated patients with concurrent serum 25 (OH) vitamin D deficiency may reflect a reversible interaction between vitamin D deficiency and statins on skeletal muscle causing myalgia.
PMID: 21728907
See also Vitamin D Life
- Statins and vitamin D
- Statin side-effects are reduced by Vitamin D – US patent Application – April 2019
- Overview How Often to take vitamin D has the following notional chart