Vitamin D fails to reduce statin-associated muscle pain

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

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

The research will likely be revealed 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 research, which is the primary randomized scientific trial to have a look at the impact of vitamin D on statin-associated muscle signs, was giant sufficient to rule out any necessary advantages.

Within the randomized, double-blind trial, 2,083 members ingested both 2,000 models of vitamin D dietary supplements each day or a placebo. The research discovered members in each classes have 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 members 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 have been a serious motive why so many sufferers stopped taking their statin treatment,” mentioned senior creator Dr. Neil Stone, professor of drugs in cardiology and preventive drugs at Northwestern College Feinberg College of Drugs and a Northwestern Drugs heart specialist. “So, it was very disappointing that vitamin D failed a rigorous take a look at. Nonetheless, it is necessary to keep away from utilizing ineffective therapies and as an alternative concentrate on analysis that may present a solution.”

Statins and vitamin D dietary supplements are two of essentially the most generally used medicines in American adults. About 30 to 35 million People 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 scale back statin-associated muscle signs and assist sufferers maintain taking their statins,” mentioned lead research creator Dr. Mark Hlatky, a professor of well being coverage and cardiovascular drugs at Stanford. “The placebo management within the research was necessary as a result of if individuals assume vitamin D is meant to cut 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 research inside a bigger scientific trial

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

“Randomized scientific trials are necessary 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 mentioned. “Statistical associations don’t show a cause-and-effect relationship. Low ranges of vitamin D are related to many medical issues, but it surely seems that giving individuals vitamin D doesn’t usually 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 skill 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 mentioned.

The thought for this sub research arose out of conversations between research 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 research embody JoAnn E. Manson and the VITAL research group at Brigham and Girls’s Hospital, Harvard Medical College and the Harvard T. H. Chan College of Public Well being.