Outcomes of statin myopathy after statin withdrawal

To study the outcomes of statin myopathy after statin withdrawal. METHODS:: Sixty-nine patients with mild statin myopathy were studied by chart review. RESULTS:: Mean age at presentation was 62.1 years. Forty-nine (71.0%) of the 69 patients were men. Mean duration of follow-up after statin withdrawal was 18.2 months. Muscle symptoms improved in 9 (13.0%) and completely resolved in 50 (72.5%) patients. Thirteen (18.8%)/69 patients had symptoms lingered beyond 14 months. Creatine kinase (CK) levels were elevated in 52 (75.4%)/69 patients at initial presentation and returned to normal in 11 (21.3%)/52 patients at follow-up. Symptom improvement was not influenced by the initial presence of weakness, CK elevation, or myopathic changes on electromyography or muscle biopsy. CONCLUSIONS:: Muscle symptoms can linger beyond 14 months, and it is difficult to predict which patients will have a prolonged recovery course. CK normalization often lags behind symptom improvement, and this should not be the only indication for muscle biopsy.