Comorbidities of Statin Intolerance

Some people with high cholesterol are prescribed statins to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke. However, some people experience side effects from their statin medicine. This is known as statin intolerance.¹

What is statin intolerance?

Statin intolerance means one cannot take statin drugs due to side effects like muscle pain and muscle weakness. People living with statin intolerance may also have other health problems that occur simultaneously. These are called comorbidities.¹

Other times, comorbidities can occur because people stop taking their statin medicine. This can lead to health problems as a result of uncontrolled high cholesterol.²

Comorbidities and statin intolerance

Your health and cholesterol levels affect one another. High cholesterol can lead to serious health issues such as coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease. However, some health problems can also increase your cholesterol levels.^1-4

The following are some comorbidities that can occur alongside high cholesterol and statin intolerance.

Type 2 diabetes

Statins can modestly increase blood sugar levels, which could lead someone who is already at risk to actually develop type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects how your body reacts to blood sugar. People with prediabetes or diabetes who are on statin medicine should talk to their doctor about the benefits versus the risks and whether switching to a non-statin drug is recommended.^1-4

Chronic kidney disease

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often have high cholesterol. CKD affects how well your kidneys work. Statins can help lower cholesterol in people with kidney disease. Kidney disease can also change how the body processes certain medicines, which can increase the risk of side effects from statins.^1-4

Liver disease

People with severe liver disease may have a higher risk of liver problems from statins. Rarely, statins can also affect the liver. Multiple studies have also reported that statins can elevate liver enzymes in the blood, however, it is rare that one has to discontinue statins due to abnormal liver enzymes.^1,3,4

Other health conditions

Other health conditions are linked with statin intolerance. These conditions are:^1-4

• Hypothyroidism – This is when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormones. It can increase the risk of muscle pain from statins.
• Obesity – People with obesity often have high cholesterol and, as such, are more likely to be on a statin medicine.
• Muscle diseases – Some muscle diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can increase a person’s risk of statin intolerance.
• Depression – Side effects from statin intolerance – muscle pain, weakness, and fatigue – can make it hard to do daily tasks and can lead to depression.

Talk with your doctor

Having more than one health problem can make it harder to manage cholesterol. Doctors must consider all of a person’s health conditions when prescribing statins. If someone has statin intolerance, doctors can try different statin doses or different statin drugs.¹

If you are having side effects from statins, do not stop taking your medicine. First, talk to your doctor about your side effects. They may try a different statin drug or adjust your dosage to see if that helps. If after adjusting your dose or switching to a different statin, you still have side effects, you may be prescribed a non-statin medicine. Whatever the case, they can help find the best treatment plan to lower cholesterol and protect your overall health.¹