title: Association Between Statin Use and Prevalence of Exercise-Related Injuries: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Amateur Runners in the Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are the first-choice therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Some maintain that statins cause adverse musculoskeletal outcomes in highly active individuals, but few studies have examined the effects of statins on exercise-related injuries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to compare the prevalence of exercise-related injuries between runners who do or do not use statins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Amateur runners (n = 4460) completed an extensive online questionnaire on their exercise patterns and health status. Participants replied to questions on the prevalence of exercise-related injuries in the previous year. Injuries were divided into general injuries, tendon- and ligament-related injuries, and muscle-related injuries. Participants were also queried about statin use: the type of statin, statin dose, and duration of treatment. Runners were divided into statin users, non-statin users with hypercholesterolemia, and controls for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The crude odds ratios (ORs) for injuries, tendon- or ligament-related injuries, and muscle-related injuries in statin users compared with controls were 1.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79-1.66), 1.10 (95% CI 0.71-1.72), and 1.15 (95% CI 0.69-1.91), respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and metabolic equivalent of task (MET) h/week of exercise, the ORs were 1.11 (95% CI 0.76-1.62), 1.06 (95% CI 0.68-1.66), and 0.98 (95% CI 0.58-1.64), respectively. Similar effect measures were found when comparing non-statin users with hypercholesterolemia and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not find an association between statin use and the prevalence of exercise-related injuries or tendon-, ligament-, and muscle-related injuries. Runners receiving statins should continue normal physical activity without concern for increased risk of injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology (392), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Department of Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Esmée A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology (392), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Silvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Timmers
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology (392), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maria T E
authors.initials: MTE
authors.lastname: Hopman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: André L M
authors.initials: ALM
authors.lastname: Verbeek
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology (392), Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Thijs.Eijsvogels@Radboudumc.nl.|Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. Thijs.Eijsvogels@Radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Thijs M H
authors.initials: TMH
authors.lastname: Eijsvogels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries*; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: Atorvastatin; Injury Risk; Rosuvastatin; Statin; Statin User