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Vitamin D and SAMS

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Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

Abstract

Statin intolerance, whereby adverse effects of statins result in the cessation of therapy or suboptimal dosing, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Statin-associated muscle symptoms are overwhelmingly the most commonly reported adverse effects of statin therapy and contribute to statin intolerance. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is increasing in many populations. Some available, mainly observational, studies have found vitamin D deficiency to be independently associated with muscle weakness and myopathy and have found evidence of a greater prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients who experience SAMS than those with good adherence to statin therapy.

This chapter discusses the evidence for and against these associations and the possibility of using vitamin D supplementation to prevent SAMS. Due to the lack of unambiguous results, most guidelines do not recommend vitamin D supplementation for this indication. However, taking into account the benefits described in a range of studies it is worth considering using vitamin D supplementation to improve adherence to statins in patients who experience SAMS or even those at risk of statin intolerance. This should be accompanied by physical check-ups and measurement of circulating concentrations of vitamin D.

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Abbreviations

25[OH]D:

25-Hydroxyvitamin D

25[OH]D3:

25-Hydroxyvitamin D3

BMI:

Body mass index

CK:

Creatine kinase

Cr :

Creatine

CVD:

Cardiovascular diseases

eGFR:

Glomerular filtration rate

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

SAMS:

Statin-associated muscle symptoms

SERCA :

Sarco−/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

VDR:

Vitamin D receptors

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Department of Hypertension, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland

    Marcin Adam Bartlomiejczyk & Maciej Banach

  2. School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

    Peter Penson

Authors
  1. Marcin Adam Bartlomiejczyk
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  2. Peter Penson
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  3. Maciej Banach
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maciej Banach .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hartford Hospital, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, USA

    Paul D. Thompson

  2. Hartford Hospital, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, USA

    Beth A. Taylor

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Bartlomiejczyk, M.A., Penson, P., Banach, M. (2020). Vitamin D and SAMS. In: Thompson, P., Taylor, B. (eds) Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms. Contemporary Cardiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33304-1_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33304-1_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-33303-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-33304-1

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