Researchers from university of Alabama find that statins may hinder the body’s ability to repair muscles. It is worth mentioning that millions of people take statins to lower cholesterol.

Fatigue is considered the most frequently reported side effect of statin therapy with 9 percent of patients reporting muscle pain. The effects become more pronounced as the doses of the medication and physical activity are increased. These side effects are quite common in people who use statins.

Lead researcher Anna Thalacker-Mercer stated: “The research is based on preliminary data and more research is definitely required to find out the more precise link. However, the results indicate that statins cause some serious side effects that alter the ability of skeletal muscle to repair.”

The results of the study have been presented at a meeting of the American Physiological Society, in S.C.

Thalacker-Mercer and his team exposed muscle cells for different doses of simvastatin and they found that increasing dosage decreased the ability of these cells to multiply. The growth of new muscle cells decreased around 50 percent with 40 milligrams increase a day.

The researchers found that when doses were increased, the proliferation of the cells went on decline to the point where they might have a negative affect on muscles ability to heal and repair themselves.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, from the University of California, Los Angeles, says that the study may lead to ways of avoiding muscle damage in patients taking statins.