STAtin-Induced Muscle Toxicity: Exploration Using the UK GEneral Practice Research Database (GPRD)  

A large number of people in the UK and abroad are prescribed statins in order to reduce their cholesterol levels. Statins have many positive effects, but they can also have some side-effects. The most common statin side-effect is muscle pain and weakness, which can cause a rise in muscle enzymes, and very rarely result in serious muscle damage.

The main purpose of this study is to understand why only some people develop this side-effect. We will be comparing patients who have had muscle problems during statin treatment to those who have not. We will be looking at many factors including genes. The findings of this study will be used in the future to identify those patients who should not receive a statin, but rather another medicine, in order to avoid the unwanted side-effects.

This is a milestone study that has been endorsed by the UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust. This study has been designed as a collaborative project by The University of Liverpool, the General Practice Research Database and The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust