Vitamin D fails to scale back statin-associated muscle ache

Sufferers who take statins to decrease excessive levels of cholesterol typically complain of muscle pains, which may make them cease taking the extremely efficient remedy and put them at larger threat of coronary heart assault or stroke.

Some clinicians have advisable vitamin D dietary supplements to ease the muscle aches of sufferers taking a statin, however a brand new examine from scientists at Northwestern College, Harvard College and Stanford College exhibits the vitamin seems to don’t have any substantial influence.

The examine will likely be printed Nov. 23 in JAMA Cardiology.

Though non-randomized research have reported vitamin D to be an efficient remedy for statin-associated muscle signs, the brand new examine, which is the primary randomized medical trial to have a look at the impact of vitamin D on statin-associated muscle signs, was giant sufficient to rule out any essential advantages.

Within the randomized, double-blind trial, 2,083 contributors ingested both 2,000 items of vitamin D dietary supplements every day or a placebo. The examine discovered contributors in each classes had been equally prone to develop muscle signs and discontinue statin remedy.

Over 4.8 years of follow-up, statin-related muscle ache was reported by 31% of the contributors assigned vitamin D and 31% assigned a placebo.

“We had excessive hopes that vitamin D can be efficient as a result of in our clinic and throughout the nation, statin-associated muscle signs had been a significant motive why so many sufferers stopped taking their statin remedy,” stated senior writer Dr. Neil Stone, professor of medication in cardiology and preventive drugs at Northwestern College Feinberg College of Medication and a Northwestern Medication heart specialist. “So, it was very disappointing that vitamin D failed a rigorous take a look at. However, it is essential to keep away from utilizing ineffective therapies and as an alternative deal with analysis that may present a solution.”

Statins and vitamin D dietary supplements are two of probably the most generally used medicines in American adults. About 30 to 35 million Individuals are prescribed statins, and about half of the inhabitants aged 60 and older take a vitamin D complement.

“We took benefit of a giant placebo-controlled randomized trial to check whether or not vitamin D would cut back statin-associated muscle signs and assist sufferers maintain taking their statins,” stated lead examine writer Dr. Mark Hlatky, a professor of well being coverage and cardiovascular drugs at Stanford. “The placebo management within the examine was essential as a result of if individuals suppose vitamin D is meant to scale back their muscle pains, they only would possibly really feel higher whereas taking it, even when vitamin D has no particular impact.”

Trial was a sub examine inside a bigger medical trial

The two,083 sufferers had been among the many bigger cohort of contributors within the VITamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), which randomized almost 26,000 contributors to double-blind vitamin D supplementation to find out whether or not it could stop heart problems and most cancers. This supplied researchers a novel alternative to check whether or not vitamin D reduces muscle signs amongst contributors who initiated statins throughout the follow-up interval of the bigger VITAL trial. The imply age of the examine contributors was 67, and 51% had been ladies.

“Randomized medical trials are essential as a result of many excellent concepts do not work in addition to we had hoped when they’re put to the take a look at,” Hlatky stated. “Statistical associations don’t show a cause-and-effect relationship. Low ranges of vitamin D are related to many medical issues, however it seems that giving individuals vitamin D doesn’t typically repair these issues.”

For sufferers who report statin-associated muscle pains

Dr. Stone famous that generally the key for understanding sufferers who’ve problem with statins is analyzing different medicines they’re taking, figuring out whether or not or not they’ve related metabolic or inflammatory circumstances, counseling them on their potential to hydrate adequately and, importantly, discussing “capsule anxiousness.”

“For many who have difficulties with statins, a scientific appraisal by a doctor with expertise in coping with these issues continues to be crucial,” Stone stated.

The concept for this sub examine arose out of conversations between examine co-author Dr. Pedro Gonzalez, then a resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Dr. Stone, who runs a big lipid clinic at Northwestern.

Different authors of the examine embody JoAnn E. Manson and the VITAL examine group at Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital, Harvard Medical College and the Harvard T. H. Chan College of Public Well being.