Many prescribed medications can directly affect people’s ability to exercise or their responses to it, but most healthcare providers focus on the ones that affect blood glucose, particularly if they increase the risk of activity-related hypoglycemia. Another type really needs to be considered, though, because of the sheer number of patients who are being put on them and their potentially negative impact on the ability to exercise: statins. Statins are medications taken to treat high cholesterol levels or abnormal levels of blood fats, in an attempt to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Brand name examples include Altoprev, Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Livalo, Mevacor, Pravachol, and Zocor.
The cholesterol guidelines were recently updated, the result being that even more adults with diabetes and prediabetes are being prescribed various medications from this class. In individuals who are unwilling or unable to change their diet and lifestyles sufficiently or have genetically high levels of blood lipids, the benefits of statins for lowering cardiovascular risk likely greatly exceed the risks, or so the experts claim (1). If a person has a low risk for developing cardiovascular problems and does not already have type 2 diabetes, taking them is not advised (2), particularly because many statins increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (3).
Since one month after he started taking Atorvastatin, Guido confided that has been suffering from extreme stiffness and pain in his legs that occurs after running any distance (3 km or 20 km). The pain is in his lower leg/ankle (the right one hurts more, but the left leg is also very stiff) and occurs typically after his runs and decreases after 3 to 4 days, during which time he is unable to run at all. His legs have been scanned and are negative for any signs of fractures or inflammation, and they have ruled out compartment syndrome.
In his email to me, Guido stated: “I suspect it is the Atorvastitin. What do you think?”
My answer was, “I completely agree that your problems are probably coming from the Atorvastatin. As a group of medications, the statins are WELL known for causing muscle and joint issues. I would suggest considering going off of it completely and see if your symptoms resolve in a few weeks.”
Guess what? It worked! He emailed me a week later, stating “I have stopped using the Statins now for 5 days and after a 12 km run my legs feel completely different and back to normal.” That was great news to hear!
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