After Decades of Mystery, Painful Side Effect of Statins Explained

Around 10 percent of people who take statins to lower cholesterol experience mysterious muscle pains, causing many to discontinue these potentially life-saving medicines.

Now, researchers from Columbia University and the University of Rochester in the US have revealed that statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS), such as aches and fatigue, result from an influx of calcium into muscle cells, which leads to tissue damage and potentially life-threatening complications.

Statins work by blocking an enzyme that's required for the biosynthesis of cholesterol in the liver. As a result, levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol are reduced in the blood, helping to prevent one of America's top killers: cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessels.

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