Cholesterol-lowering drugs do not cause muscle pain, contrary to popular belief. That is the conclusion of a new British study, the results of which appeared in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
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The so-called cholesterol lowering drugs are used, among other things, to prevent heart disease and strokes. Although serious side effects are rare, fear of muscle pain and cramps leads patients to discontinue treatment. Because of this, they may be at increased risk for heart problems.
Over the years, there has been much confusion about the side effects of the cholesterol lowering drugs. For example, there is said to be the ‘nocebo’ effect: because so many stories are circulating about muscle pain during treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs, people imagine afterwards that they also have muscle pain.
No differences
British researchers therefore conducted a study on 200 Britons who recently stopped taking their medication or who were considering it because of muscle pain symptoms. They were divided into different groups and were given either a real cholesterol-lowering drug or a placebo. However, no differences were observed in complaints about muscle pain, which means that a cholesterol lowering agent has no influence on it.
The researchers are satisfied with the results and hope that people will now be less negative about cholesterol-lowering drugs. “This study provides additional evidence that muscle pain cannot be attributed to the drug,” it said.
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