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Fatal rhabdomyolysis caused by lipid-lowering therapy
D G Federman1, F Hussain, A B Walters
1Department of Medicine and the Pharmacy Service, VA Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
Southern Medical Journal
|November 13, 2001
Abstract:
Treatment of hypercholesterolemia has been shown to reduce mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. Patients with severe lipid abnormalities may require high-dose statin therapy, at times used in combination with additional agents. We report a case of fatal rhabdomyolysis caused by the combination of simvastatin and gemfibrozil. Clinicians should be aware of risk factors for rhabdomyolysis, which include underlying renal insufficiency, high-dose statin therapy, and combination therapy with a fibrate.