Statins unlikely to slow runner

 

 

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I have a friend – let’s call her Penny – who’s an accomplished marathon runner.
She’s completed nearly 20 of the 26.2-mile races and is in tip-top physical shape.
Although Penny’s cholesterol levels are not terribly high, her family has a history of heart disease.
So, in an abundance of caution, her physician put her on a daily dose of Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug.
As Penny does everything she can to improve her performance (she would really love to qualify for the Boston Marathon), she’s begun to wonder whether the cholesterol medicine is affecting her running.
What do you think? 

Dr. Prescott Prescribes

Despite her family history, Penny’s heart has a major ally in her lifestyle: Exercise lowers the risk of heart disease. And it does so, in part, by lowering cholesterol.
Still, when it comes to cholesterol and heart disease, sometimes lifestyle alone cannot overcome genetics. That is why her doctor has prescribed a statin drug, which also lowers the risk of heart disease and helps cut cholesterol levels.
Statins are safe, but muscle aches (technically, myalgias) are a fairly common side effect, seen in 5 percent or more of patients. Marked exertion seems to increase the frequency of aches, and they can be bad enough in extreme exercise that athletes quit taking the medication. To my knowledge, though, there is no evidence that statins have any direct impact on performance.
There is a rare, lifethreatening muscle complication that’s seen in one in a million or so patients taking statins, but there appears to be no relationship between the aches – or the level of exertion – and this dramatic side effect.

So, using statins will increase the likelihood of muscle aches. But, really, how would marathoners know the new aches from all the ones that already afflict them?
Anybody thinking about going off statin drugs should talk to his or her doctor first. If you’re on a statin, there’s probably a good reason to stay on it. When you’re trying to outrun a family history of heart disease, it’s wise to use all the help you can get.