By the way, doctor: Why don't statins damage the heart muscle?

Published: November, 2010

Q. I've heard that statin drugs can cause muscle damage. Since the heart is a muscle, why don't statins cause heart damage?

A. You ask an interesting question. The statin drugs that people take to lower cholesterol do sometimes injure the skeletal muscles that move the limbs and other parts of the body. It's not entirely clear how that happens.

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