Statins do not cause muscle aches and pains, study finds

UK researchers seek to dispel concerns over pills prescribed for those at higher risk of heart attack and strokes

Statins are generally not the cause of the muscle aches and pains that stop some people taking the pills prescribed to protect them against serious heart problems, according to a novel study that hopes to dispel some of the concerns.

Two million people in the UK who are at higher risk of heart attack and strokes are eligible for statins, but many people refuse them or have stopped taking them because of sometimes alarming and widespread reports of muscle pain. But the study funded by the National Institute of Health Research showed that most people had the same aches and pains whether they were taking a statin or taking a dummy pill that looked and tasted just like a statin.