Statins impair muscle repair and regeneration

Statins may impair the ability of skeletal muscle to repair and regenerate itself, suggest results of a recent study by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Statins have previously been reported to have adverse effects upon skeletal muscle. However, until now, little was known about their effect upon muscle satellite cells, which play a fundamental role in muscle repair and regeneration following exercise or injury. Using human skeletal muscle satellite cell cultures, Anna Thalacker-Mercer and colleagues, found that the statin simvastatin, at doses equivalent to 40 mg /day, led to a significant reduction in satellite cell proliferation. Such a reduction is likely to impair muscle's ability to repair or regenerate itself.

"While these are preliminary data and more research is necessary, the results indicate serious adverse effects of statins,” Dr Thalacker-Mercer said in a press release issued by the American Physiological Society. "We are very interested in these effects in the older population. It is possible that older adults may not be able to distinguish between muscle pain related to a statin effect or an effect of aging and therefore adverse effects of statins in older adults may be under-reported."

Thalacker-Mercer A, Baker M, Calderon C, Bamman M. Simvastatin Reduces Human Primary Satellite Cell Proliferation in Culture. American Physiological Society conference, September 24-27, 2008, Hilton Head, SC.

News release: Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs And The Effect On Muscle Repair And Regeneration. American Physiological Society website. September 25th 2008.