Abstract
Statins are a class of drugs for managing elevated concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, main risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Despite these drugs are well tolerated, muscular symptoms and toxicity remain a cause for discontinuation. Statin Associated Muscle Symptoms (SAMS) comprehend discomfort (myalgia), muscle weakness (myopathy), tenderness to palpation, with or without muscle inflammation (myositis), and/or myonecrosis. The cause and mechanisms of SAMS are unknown and remain elusive. Statins act through the block of hydroxy-3-methyl-Glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoAR) thereby reducing cholesterol synthesis and its by-products. One of them is vitamin D, and its decrease has been studied as a possible cause of SAMS, but the findings are controversial. This chapter aims to address new and old biomarkers of muscle damage in relation to SAMS and vitamin D levels.
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