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September 29, 2007. 2:10 p.m.
That Statin is Killing My Tennis Game.
I was playing tennis today in the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) league,
and my doubles partner developed pain in his calf muscle. It turns out that this was a recurring problem,
which he had linked to statin use (for lowering cholesterol). Statins in fact can cause
damage to the muscle cells, leading to muscle pain, or myopathy. When extreme this damage is called
rhabdomyolosis, as I explain in my book Before You Take That Pill,
a condition in which protein is released from the muscles which can clog the kidneys and cause
kidney failure and even death. I have had many healthy young men complain of the same side effect
on statins. If you don't have a history of heart disease and few risk factors other than
elevated cholesterol, you shouldn't take a statin. In the case of my tennis partner
since he had this rare condition he actually responds very well to statins
since his condition is caused by an alteration of the HMG Coenzyme A reductase receptor
which is corrected by statins, which are HMG Coenzyme A reductase receptor inhibitors,
so he should try a lower dose of a less potent statin.
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