The case of stainless statins

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Metabolic Disorders

Background:

• Hypercholesterolemia is a common condition often treated with statins.
• Statins can sometimes cause elevated creatine kinase levels.
• Distinguishing statin-induced myopathy from other causes is clinically important.

Observation:

• Two hypercholesterolemic patients exhibited elevated plasma creatine kinase during statin therapy.
• Creatine kinase levels remained high even after discontinuing statin treatment.

Findings:

• Further investigations revealed undiagnosed glycogen storage diseases as the cause of elevated creatine kinase.
• McArdle's disease and Pompe's disease were identified in the presented cases.

Implications:

• This highlights the importance of considering rare metabolic disorders in patients with persistent creatine kinase elevation.
• Early diagnosis of glycogen storage diseases is crucial for appropriate management and preventing complications.
• This case series underscores the need for comprehensive diagnostic workups beyond statin-induced side effects.