title: Statin and fibrate associated myopathy: study of eight patients.
abstract: Lipid-lowering drugs have been occasionally associated with neuromuscular symptoms and muscle biopsy changes. We reported the clinical course and the muscle biopsy in eight patients with hyperlipoproteinemia, treated with lipid -lowering drugs (statins/fibrates). Five patients had myalgias while; in two cases there was proximal muscle weakness. All patients became asymptomatic after the withdrawal of the drug, although creatine kinase remained elevated. We performed muscle biopsy in six cases from three months to two years after suspension of the drug. We found variation in fibers diameters in all cases, with necrosis of fibers in five cases, inflammatory infiltration in one case, the presence of vacuolated fiber in one patient and ragged-red fibers in three subjects. We concluded that although the muscle biopsy findings were not specific, the prolonged use of statins and or fibrates might induce a chronic myopathy even in the absence of symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Neurologia Clínica, Hospital Santa Marcelina, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. alzirac@iconet.com.br
authors.forename: Alzira A Siqueira
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Ursula Waleska Poti
authors.initials: UW
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Raul Alberto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Valiente
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001706:Biopsy; D002995:Clofibric Acid / Q000009:adverse effects; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000009:adverse effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006951:Hyperlipoproteinemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002995:Clofibric Acid; D003402:Creatine Kinase