Statin induced myopathy

Statin drugs are widely used to reduce the risk of initial and recurrent cardiovascular events. Overall, their safety and tolerability is well established. However, there can be toxic effects on skeletal muscle tissue, the so-called statin induced myopathy. Usually this involves only subjective symptoms of muscle aching and weakness with normal CK values, but rarely a more severe myositis can occur with marked elevations of the CK. Statins do have different pharmacologic properties, and often one statin can be substituted without complications for another statin that has caused a myopathy.