Scientists finally uncover why statins can cause muscle pain

Scientists have uncovered a surprising reason why statins, the widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs that help prevent heart attacks and strokes, can sometimes cause muscle pain, weakness, and even severe muscle damage. Using advanced imaging technology, researchers discovered that statins can attach to a crucial protein in muscle cells and force open a channel that normally controls calcium flow. This causes calcium to leak continuously, potentially damaging muscle tissue.

Scientists finally uncover why statins can cause muscle pain. By lowering cholesterol, they have helped save millions of lives and reduce the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes. These benefits can come with unwanted effects.

Some patients develop muscle pain or weakness, while a small number experience serious muscle breakdown that can potentially cause kidney failure. Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC), working with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have identified a molecular mechanism that helps explain these complications. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, could guide the development of safer statins that maintain their cholesterol-lowering benefits while minimizing muscle damage.