Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents01:20

Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents

Hyperlipidemia, a medical condition often referred to as high cholesterol, is characterized by abnormally elevated levels of lipids in the bloodstream. When present in excess, these lipids, specifically cholesterol and triglycerides, can lead to serious health complications, often involving cardiovascular diseases. Illnesses like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and pancreatitis have all been linked to untreated hyperlipidemia. This means controlling and regulating cholesterol and triglyceride...
Drug toxicity: Drug–Drug Interaction01:30

Drug toxicity: Drug–Drug Interaction

Drug–drug interactions can precipitate toxicity through multiple mechanisms. Absorption interactions alter how drugs enter the body, exemplified when ranitidine increases the absorption of basic drugs, while cholestyramine decreases the levels of propranolol. Protein binding interactions occur when drugs share the same binding sites on plasma proteins. Drugs like aspirin and warfarin, when bound in excess, can lead to increased free drug concentrations, enhancing the potential for...
Drug Toxicity: Overview01:00

Drug Toxicity: Overview

Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects01:21

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects

Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors01:24

Drug Toxicity: Risk factors

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...
Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions01:24

Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions

Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Efavirenz metabolism and CNS toxicity in Ugandan children: impact of CYP2B6 genotype and plasma metabolite profiles.

Frontiers in pharmacology·2026
Same author

Risk drugs and comorbidities in patients with torsade de pointes.

European journal of clinical pharmacology·2026
Same author

Acute pancreatitis in relation to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection: A nationwide cohort study in Sweden.

Pancreatology : official journal of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) ... [et al.]·2026
Same author

Prescribed drugs and comorbidities as risk factors for Torsades de Pointes arrhythmia: a Swedish population-based cohort study.

European journal of clinical pharmacology·2026
Same author

Sub- and supratherapeutic efavirenz plasma concentrations with risk for HIV therapy failure are mainly genetically explained in Ugandan children: The prospective GENEFA cohort study.

British journal of clinical pharmacology·2024
Same author

Metadata for Data dIscoverability aNd Study rEplicability in obseRVAtional Studies (MINERVA): Lessons Learnt From the MINERVA Project in Europe.

Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Preclinical Drug Testing in Scalable 3D Engineered Muscle Tissues
08:07

Preclinical Drug Testing in Scalable 3D Engineered Muscle Tissues

Published on: April 7, 2023

Muscle toxicity with statins.

Karin Hedenmalm1, Gunnar Alvan, Patrik Ohagen

  • 1Clinical Trial Unit, Medical Products Agency, Uppsala, Sweden. karin.hedenmalm@mpa.se

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
|December 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary

High statin doses and interacting medications increase the risk of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis. Renal disease and strenuous activity also contribute to this serious muscle toxicity.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Toxicology

Background:

  • Statins are widely prescribed for cholesterol management.
  • Serious muscle toxicity, including rhabdomyolysis, is a rare but significant adverse effect.
  • Identifying risk factors is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and quantify potential risk factors for statin-induced rhabdomyolysis.
  • To analyze cases of muscle toxicity associated with statin use.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of suspected adverse drug reactions reported to the Swedish Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee.
  • Classification of muscle toxicity cases based on serum creatine kinase (CK) levels.
  • Statistical analysis using Fisher's test and logistic regression.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Preclinical Drug Testing in Scalable 3D Engineered Muscle Tissues
08:07

Preclinical Drug Testing in Scalable 3D Engineered Muscle Tissues

Published on: April 7, 2023

Main Results:

  • A high statin dose and concomitant interacting drug treatment were significantly associated with rhabdomyolysis.
  • Renal disease and unusual strenuous muscular activity were also identified as risk factors.
  • Increased systemic exposure to statins correlated with a higher risk of rhabdomyolysis.

Conclusions:

  • Statin dose and drug interactions are key risk factors for rhabdomyolysis.
  • Renal disease and strenuous physical activity may further elevate the risk.
  • Findings support the need for careful patient monitoring during statin therapy.