Statins are medications that have saved millions of lives by lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
They’ve become one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world. But while they are very effective, many people who take them suffer from muscle pain, weakness, and in rare cases, serious muscle damage that can lead to kidney failure.
Now, scientists at the University of British Columbia, working with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, believe they have discovered why these muscle side effects happen.
Their findings, published in Nature Communications, may help create a new type of statin that doesn’t cause these problems.
The research team used a high-tech method called cryo-electron microscopy. This powerful tool allows scientists to take extremely detailed pictures of proteins—almost down to the atomic level. They used it to look at how statins interact with a key protein in muscle cells called RyR1.
This protein controls the release of calcium, which muscles need to contract. Normally, it opens only when needed. But the researchers found that when statins attach to this protein, they force it to stay open. This causes calcium to leak out constantly, which can damage the muscle and lead to pain and weakness.
Lead author Dr. Steven Molinarolo explained that they were able to see exactly how statins attach to this protein and trigger the leak. This continuous calcium leak is toxic to muscle cells and could explain why so many people feel aches or weakness when taking the drug.
The team focused on a popular statin called atorvastatin, but their findings likely apply to many other statins too. What surprised them was how the statin molecules behaved: three statin molecules gather in one part of the RyR1 protein.
The first one attaches when the channel is closed, making it more likely to open. Then two more statin molecules wedge themselves in, forcing the channel to open completely. This strange behavior helps explain the negative muscle side effects.
Senior researcher Dr. Filip Van Petegem says this discovery is a major step forward. It gives scientists a clear map for designing better statins—ones that still lower cholesterol but don’t interact with muscle tissue in this harmful way. The idea is to keep the helpful part of the statin and change the part that causes muscle problems.
While serious muscle damage only affects a small number of the more than 200 million people who take statins, mild symptoms like sore muscles or tiredness are common.
These side effects often cause patients to stop taking the drug, even though it’s protecting their heart. If scientists can design safer statins, more people may stick with their treatment and live longer, healthier lives.
This research also shows how powerful imaging tools like cryo-electron microscopy can lead to real breakthroughs. By seeing the tiniest details of how drugs work inside the body, scientists can create better and safer medications.
Dr. Van Petegem summed it up by saying, “Statins have been a cornerstone of heart care for decades. We want to make them even safer so that people can keep taking them without worrying about muscle pain.”
For millions of patients, this could mean fewer side effects and a better quality of life while still getting strong protection from heart disease.
If you care about muscle, please read studies about factors that can cause muscle weakness in older people, and scientists find a way to reverse high blood sugar and muscle loss.
For more health information, please see recent studies about an easy, cheap way to maintain muscles, and results showing these vegetables essential for your muscle strength.
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